Infinity Quest
by silverbird6
Summary: "There was an idea, to bring together a group of remarkable people. To see if we could become something more. So that when they needed us, we could fight the battles that they never could". The Avengers are fractured. Only two Sanctums remain. The Guardians are galaxies away. And Asgard is no more. Thanos approaches. And Earth isn't ready.
1. Peter Quill

**And here we go! This is essentially my Avengers: Infinity War prediction fanfic. I'm sure I will get some stuff right (because I've seen the trailer) and I'm sure I will get a lot of stuff wrong. But it is going to be a blast to write and I hope you all enjoy reading it. A few things before we get started:**

 **1\. I don't own any of the characters, plot points (referenced) from previous movies, or quotes/scenes taken from the Infinity War trailer (which was so freaking epic). All that belongs to Marvel and Disney. **

**2\. This fic WILL BE COMPLETED before Infinity Wars drops in May. Keeping that in mind, right now I'm aiming for weekly updates on Sundays.**

 **3\. Updates will slow down in preparation for Black Panther. I don't want to post anything set in Wakanda before that drops. I have that chapter outlined, but want to make sure my predictions of how Black Panther will connect to Infinity War is the same as what actually happens (so this fic isn't obsolete before it really begins). But there are 3-4 chapters that will go up before that. We need to check in with our scattered heroes, after all. So if you are reading the first couple chapters and wondering "where the heck is Black Panther?" he is coming I promise!**

 **4\. I consider myself a Marvel fan. I've watched all the MCU films and read the major Avengers comic events in the Marvel universe. That includes the Infinity Gauntlet comic. But by no means am I an expert. So this fic relies primarily on MCU lore, with potentially a bit of prediction thrown in based on events in the Marvel comic universe.**

 **5\. I can't help it. I'm going to include a song with each chapter. I love how the MCU really uses existing music (for lack of a better term) to express and represent their characters. You can assume all the Guardians songs come from Peter's Zune. Everything else is chosen to fit the characters and the tone of the chapter.**

 **That's all. Drop a comment if you are able. I always enjoy feedback (constructive though, no flames). Thanks for reading and enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Song: American Idiot by Greenday_**

Peter grasped the rifle tightly in his hands and ducked under a burnt-out hovercar. Using the cover to catch his breath, he ejected the empty magazine and snapped a new one in place. The archaic gun was a far cry from his usual twin blasters, but he hadn't had a choice. It was this or his bare hands, and he wasn't an assassin like Gamora or super strong like Drax. So ancient Terran rifle it was. He started when Rocket slid to the ground beside him, a teenage Groot in tow. "Whaddya hiding back here for, Quill? We're getting slaughtered out there!"

"I am Groot". Groot tilted his head in the equivalent of sticking out his tongue before crossing his arms and pouting in the dirt. Great, just what Peter needed right now was teenage sass.

"Excuse me, y'all left me with the worst weapon. I had to reload". He cocked the rifle, making sure the bullet was in the barrel before balancing on the balls of his feet. "If you're done complainin', we can move".

"Waiting on you, Star-Munch" Rocket grumbled. "Where're we going?"

Peter peered over the left side of the hovercar and flinched violently when a bullet whizzed by his face. "Um, not that way".

Rocket sighed dramatically, "Why do I always have to make the plans?"

"Oh now that just unfair, you stupid raccoon..." But Rocket was already scampering away to the right, narrowly dodging a few bullets. Peter braced himself, then followed. He ducked and rolled to the next piece of cover, then lead Rocket and Groot back towards what was currently functioning as their base. Rocket and Groot made it to the barricade, climbing down and waiting on the other side as Peter heroically jumped on top of the pile of rubble and slid down to safety...

Until he landed on his rear on the wrong side of the barricade, Rocket's startled "Quill!" audible from the other side. He felt a bullet hit him in the chest, gasping as the impact hindered his breathing. It was all over now. "Save yourself, Rocket! Take care of Groot!"

He could hear the Guardian scampering away on the other side, dragging an ornery Groot with him. One of Peter's assailants leapt over the rubble with ease and ran to track them down. Peter struggled to get up until a boot landed on his chest, right where the bullet hit. Groaning, he looked up into the face of his killer. "Now that's just downright mean".

A grinning green face looked down at him. "You should not have let yourself get caught then".

" _Let_ myself? Are you kidding? Not only didja pick all the good weapons before I got there, but you tagged me with this paralyzing goop and then stepped all over me. You shouldn't kick a man while he's down". Peter would never admit it, but he knew he was being a bit overdramatic. The paralytic was wearing off already, leaving nothing more than a brightly colored splat on the front of his shirt.

Gamora grinned and removed her boot, kneeling down to his level and helping him sit up. "You were the one who insisted this game was similar to the Terran custom of 'paint balls'. You suggested it".

Peter groaned because technically, that was true. However, "You're team has been cheatin'! I hit you fair and square ten minutes ago and you're still up and running 'round shootin' me!"

She frowned and looked at her side, where a bright purple stain was. "That would not have been a fatal hit, Peter".

"On any normal person it would have been! It's not my fault you're impervious to paralytic paint!"

Drax vaulted back over the wall of rubble with a paralyzed Rocket over one shoulder and dragging a protesting Groot with the other hand. "Is Quill complaining like a child again? He is" the big guy paused, trying to think of the right words, "crying tears to build a river?"

"Ain't nobody cryin' here" Peter mumbled, finally getting some feeling back in his toes, "Just pointin' out the injustices of 'Galaxy Shootout'". Never mind that was kinda the whole point of the game. A Xandarian creation to show the galaxy how it felt to be the ones with the primitive weapons instead of the conquerors. Of course, it really was just a glorified version of paintball.

A huge hand lifted him up by the back of his shirt, setting him on unfeeling feet. "Come, friend Quill. Let us drink to celebrate our victory and your pitiful defeat".

"We only lost because Star-Dork couldn't figure out his gun and Groot is apparently too cool to play" Rocket muttered, shoving himself off Drax as the paralytic wore off. "Where's your third member?"

"Kraglin? He decided that using the Yaka arrow would be the best strategy. He has been trying to get the paralyzing paint to stay on the arrow without burning out for the whole time. We can pick him up on our way out". From Gamora's expression, she was none to impressed with the first-mate.

Peter sighed and massaged the multicolored bruise on his chest. "Let's just...skip to the drinking, shall we?"

Drax slapped Peter on the back, propelling him forward into one of the burnt-out hovercars. "That is an acceptable plan. I noticed a fine drinking establishment on our way to this arena of pathetic combat".

"I know your definition of 'fine' Drax. We should look for somewhere that isn't going to serve us rat poison". Rocket, whose paralytic had yet to completely wear off, was riding on Groot's shoulder. "Last time we took your advice about a bar, we ended up with food poisoning".

Peter shuddered, remembering that night of misery. "Rocket's right. Let's go down to the Ciegrimite district. Those guys can _drink_ ".

The Guardians walked over to Gamora's bunker, where Kraglin was cursing creatively at the paint, the Yaka arrow burning it off as soon as it was administered. His rifle, which looked like it was made around the Terran Civil War, was abandoned off to the side. Gamora merely hauled the Xandarian up by the collar of his shirt dragged him towards the door.

On their way out, the group handed their weapons back to the Xandarian teenager working the Galaxy Shootout counter. Poor kid looked at Rocket's retrofitted rail gun and muttered, "What the heck am I supposed to tell my boss about this?" but didn't stop them. Ah, teenagers. Speaking of, "Groot, why don't you head back to the ship, see if there are any jobs we can pick up while we're here?"

"I am Groot". The Flora Colossus crossed his arms and shifted his head.

"Don't give me sass. Ciegrimite bars are no place for a kid. Believe me, I nearly died in one when I was thirteen". Peter crossed his arms, giving Groot an equally ornery glare. The tree looked at him from the corner of his eye and muttered, "I am Groot".

"I do not almost die on a daily basis! You try livin' with Ravagers and avoidin' near death experiences!"

"Peter". Gamora stopped the argument with a wave of her hand. She turned to Groot, "Mantis has been there all day. Why don't you go check on her for me?"

"I am Groot". The teenager was still pouting. Gamora tried again, "Groot, please go back to the ship. I am going to make sure these idiots do not kill themselves and will join you shortly. I will even bring you back some food if you want".

The tree huffed once, then strode off towards the dock. Peter gaped at Gamora as they walked towards the north end of the city, "How'd you do that?"

"You have to act like an adult to be treated like one, Peter".

Well. That was rude, but accurate. Conceding his defeat, Peter led the group down the dark streets of Xandar. The Guardians enjoyed the planet only when it was dark. In the daylight, they were far too recognizable as the Guardians of the Galaxy, something they used only when it suited them. Which wasn't when they were looking for a drink. Once through the door of a Ciegrimite nightclub, the group dispersed. Drax celebrated his victory with Rocket and Kraglin while Peter slouched at the bar with a heavy drink to take the edge off. It'd been almost four years since Yondu's spirit was released to sail among the stars. None of the other guardians seemed to notice if their captain was a bit more subdued than usual, although he would bet Kraglin and Rocket were mourning in their own way. Not everyone got drunk rather than deal with their feelings, after all.

Gamora nudged his shoulder as she sat next to him and ordered a lightly alcoholic drink, all while keeping a wary eye on the rest of their crew. Peter's lip twitched upwards in the ghost of a smile, then flicked open his datapad, searching the job channels for appropriate work.

"Find anything good?"

Shaking his head, he continued to scroll through the job listings. Too far. Too small payday. One that was actually _too_ illegal. Nothing fitting for the Guardians of the Galaxy. He sighed and pushed his chair back in an effort to look relaxed. "Nothin' here. I hate to do this, but we might have to start looking on Ravager lists. I know Stakar gave us permission, but it still feels..."

"Wrong?" Gamora questioned, taking a small sip from her drink. Her gaze pierced Peter's carefully drawn facade.

"Not necessarily wrong. Just...Ravagers don't give anythin' away for free. The moment we show a sign of accepting Stakar's offer to be the 100th Ravager clan in anything other than name, we'll owe him somethin'. Ravagers have a call to arms, no matter what it is or what we are doing, we have to go. I don't like being tied down".

"Then don't take any of the jobs". Gamora was far too logical to understand Peter's dilemma. It felt like a betrayal of Yondu's memory not to be a Ravager, but it felt like a betrayal of himself to join back up. None of this would be a problem if there were just some krutarking work available for a highly qualified band of a-holes. Rocking his chair abruptly back to four legs, he put his head in his hands, "I think we're doing our job too well, Gamora. Pretty soon, we're gonna put ourselves out of work".

The assassin's snort of amusement was anything but delicate, but somehow cute nonetheless. She made to retort, only to be interrupted by a bright chirp. Peter groaned and dug around in his coat pocket until he felt the thin metal comlink. "Quill".

"Mr. Quill. This is Denarian Dey".

"Rhomann! How are things at the Nova Corps?"

"Just fine, Mr. Quill. I have a job for your crew if you are interested?"

Peter smirked, even though the Xandarian couldn't see him. "I don't know. We are pretty busy, you know, two time galaxy savers and all. Tell me more and we'll see".

"I think you'll be interested in this one. We have reports of an Outrider attack on a civilian vessel. The incident occurred on the edge of Via Lactea. We want you to go in ahead of Xandarian relief efforts and ensure the area is safe for our crews".

Peter's eyebrows raised clear up to his forehead, but he kept his voice steady and uninterested. No need to show Dey all his cards. "Pay?"

"15,000 units now, 15,000 after your sweep".

"Come on, Dey. That will barely pay fuel costs. 30,000 units now to cover our expenses, 40,000 units after the sweep".

"Quill". Excellent, the denarian was exasperated. And dropped the 'Mr.', which was always a good sign. "Don't be ridiculous".

"I beg your pardon. That rate is takin' our Xandarian discount into effect. Others would pay us much more for this job. We are two time galaxy savers, after all. Our expertise comes at a price and you know it. Stop screwin' around and just say yes, Dey".

The man sighed into the comlink, as if talking to Peter was exhausting. Which was crazy, Peter was delightful. "Fine. I'll send you the coordinates. Keep in touch, Quill. That's a stipulation of the job".

"Yes sir!" Peter mockingly exclaimed, checking their accounts to ensure the first payment had gone through. "I'll hail you when we arrive".

The Nova Corpsman just sighed and signed off without so much as a goodbye. Rude. Peter turned to Gamora. "Well, problem solved. We have a job. An interesting one at that".

"Interesting?" The assassin raised one eyebrow. "Do tell".

"I'll give the specifics on the Quadrant, but it's a sweep mission for Nova. Nothin' too different there".

"Except?"

"Except it's in Via Lactea. And the civilian ship was hijacked by Outriders".

That got her attention, as he knew it would. "Outriders? In Asgardian space?"

"Yup. Makes me think your adopted daddy is knockin' on a very particular door".

Gamora glared at him for the remark about her father, which yeah, wasn't the nicest thing he could have said, but then looked thoughtful. "Infinity Stones".

"Yup"

"And Via Lactea? You think Asgard has an infinity stone?"

Peter shrugged, "I don't know. But there have been whisperings about Asgardian Ragnarok beginning. Ravagers have been avoidin' the area hoping to stay out of that mess, but sooner or later one of the clans will go scavenging. And Thanos knows that. If he's leadin' his Outriders there, that probably means the whispers are true".

"Leaving whatever infinity stone they were protecting unguarded". Her hands clenched and unclenched. "Sounds like a job for the Guardians of the Galaxy, no?"

Peter let his signature smirk creep through his poker face. "Sounds like. Oh and Gamora? Might want to drop a line to your crazy sister. Let her know what's happenin'. Somethin' tells me we're gonna need all hands on deck for this one".


	2. Tony Stark

**Here is the next chapter! I must admit, it is dialogue heavy, but important for setting the stage on Earth. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Song: Hells Bells by ACDC**_

"Friday? Double check the fuel line for me".

A moment's silence. Then, "Fuel line unimpaired, Sir".

Tony scratched his chin, mind whirling a mile a minute. "We've replaced everything with new parts, Friday. Why won't this work?"

"Perhaps because some things are unsalvageable, even for you".

Stark snorted, a glimpse of amusement quickly replaced by frustration. "Very funny, Friday. What if we don't use new parts? Check the carburetor. Replace it with Stark tech instead, run the simulation again".

Silence again. Then, "That will do it, Sir. I estimate the car will run at 80% efficiency with that adjustment".

He grimaced. 80% was still unacceptable, but it would have to do for now. "Have manufacturing set one aside and deliver it to the complex. Let Peter know I've fixed his car problem". Flicking the holographic display away, he muttered, "Though I'm not sure why he even bothers with that ancient piece of junk".

"Karen has been notified, Sir. Peter will pick it up on Friday when he comes for training".

That's right. Training. AKA make sure the kid is still alive and kicking and making smart choices. Operating in that grey area Tony had told him about. "Good. Write a reminder. Anything else?"

"Ms. Potts would like a word".

Tony quickly rolled out from under his desk, an old coffee in his hand and grease stains on his t-shirt. Dumping both in the sink, he shimmied into his business suit and took the stairs two at a time. A man who wanted to stay alive didn't keep Ms. Potts waiting. Particularly if he planned to marry her in the fall. An elevator ride and half a floor later, he pushed open glass doors (which were pointless, but whatever) and bounded into Pepper's Avengers Headquarters office. "Hi Honey. How was work?"

And oops, Pepper was glaring at him now. That was never a good sign. "Tony, I needed your signature on these catering forms three days ago. And Secretary Ross has been calling Stark Industries, since apparently you have been 'unavailable' for two weeks".

"What can I say? I like watching the light blink".

"Yeah, well, you're on thin ice already after the Siberia incident".

"Can we please stop calling it an incident? It was almost two years ago. Plus, as I told everyone, Sam sent me on a wild goose chase to Siberia, leaving Captain America to free his merry band of miscreants from the Raft…"

Pepper glared at him, shutting him up in a way only she could. "Don't give me that crap, Tony. I understand that you had to…alter the truth a bit for Ross. But you told me everything. And both you and I know it was an incident. It doesn't matter at the moment though. Sign off on the catering and call Secretary Ross back. Right now".

Tony sighed and grabbed a pen. "Yes dear".

His beautiful and talented fiancé tapped a delicate fingernail on the desk. "Anything unusual this week?"

Tony snorted. Like she hadn't already browsed his calendar. "Nope. Tomorrow is the regular Tuesday tooth-pulling with the UN Security Council, Wednesday is devoted to Stark Industries, Friday is team training. Peter is coming to that".

Pepper hesitated. Oh no. "I received a call from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Selvig has a matter of great importance he would like to discuss with you…"

"Oh no. _No_ , Pepper. You know that man gives me the heebie jeebies".

"If it's because of Loki…"

"It has…very little to do with Loki. It has more to do with his lack of pants and crazy theories about Asgardian…"

"Oh, like you are always politically correct. Of all people, he should be able to confide in you because…"

"Just because I'm more open minded than the rest of the scientific community doesn't mean that I will buy every crackpot theory…"

"He thinks he knows where Thor is. The Avengers…"

"Oh yeah, I'm just going to pop into Asgard and grab Thor. Or send him an interdimensional message! And what would I even say? Come back to Earth, Thor! Half our teammates are fugitives and the rest are depressed and dysfunctional? Please sign this binding document from Earth that won't let you come and go as you please? How well do you think that will go over Pepper? Huh?"

Tony sucked in deep breaths, purposefully not looking at Pepper as her glare softened. "I can't lose another friend".

"I know, Tony. I'm not asking you to contact Thor. I'm asking you to listen to a colleague. Plus, it's your job to monitor all potential threats. And Selvig seems to think there's a threat".

Tony sighed. Contrary to popular opinion, he did know when to give in. "Fine, schedule him in, Friday. For Tuesday morning. Might as well get all the unpleasantness over with in one day. Oh! And ask him to bring taser girl with him…Darby. Sometimes she's the only thing that keeps me from locking him in the freezer".

"Very well, Sir. Dr. Selvig and Darcy will come to Avengers Headquarters tomorrow morning".

Pepper positively beamed at him. He scowled at her, but she wasn't convinced. She could read right through his PR face. The fiend then handed him the phone.

"Ross, then dinner".

"Dinner, then Ross?" Tony tried, knowing full well it wouldn't work. Pepper merely kissed him on the cheek and pointed to the phone before walking out the door. He sighed, then dialed. And instantly regretted it.

"Well if it isn't the Iron Man. If I had known calling Potts would get this result, I would have done that two weeks ago".

"Ross. I have ten minutes. What do you want? It can't be all that important since you haven't show up unannounced yet".

"I need a meeting with you all".

"You all?"

"The Avengers, Stark. Don't get smart".

"Too late for that" Tony quipped as he tossed Pepper's smiley face stress ball in the air. If he had to call Ross, he was going to make it as amusing as possible.

"Look, I have a mission for you guys".

Tony frowned, pausing for a moment. "Really? The UN didn't mention anything about it".

Ross hesitated. Then, "The UN hasn't discussed this particular issue. But I am sure they would be amendable to the idea…"

"Let me stop you right there, Ross. The whole purpose of the Sokovia Accords was accountability, not to use the Avengers as the US's personal special ops. If the UN hasn't sanctioned it, we aren't doing it".

"We found Wanda, Tony. I want you guys to bring her in". Well, that was awful. Tony had done a really good job of ignoring the old Avengers, even when Friday picked up trails of them across the world. They weren't his responsibility until the UN told him they were. He was a billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist after all. Not an attack dog.

"No. If I have to deal with the boring and tedious UN paperwork, so do you. File a motion, get them to sign off on it, and then I will happily bring Ms. Maximoff to justice in accordance with international law and the Rome Statute…"

"We don't have time for that Stark…"

"Yes, we do. Remember what happened last time you told me to bring her in? Without explicit UN clearance? You stuck her in a prison in the middle of the ocean with a _shockcollar_. I didn't sign because I liked the government or you, Ross. I signed because it was the right thing to do. So the Avengers are going to operate in accordance with international law. _They're_ my bosses, Ross. Not you".

Silence from the other end of the line. Finally, "I would have thought you would want her brought to justice just as much as me".

Tony thought about Ross's previous career in the army, the redacted military records from Ross's "special projects" (including the Hulk), his political invulnerability. He didn't think Secretary Ross was particularly interested in bringing her to "justice".

"Get UN approval, Ross. Then we can talk". Tony hung up. He stretched, then meandered to the window overlooking the compound. The Avenger's support staff were running laps around the complex along with Rodey. Finally, after two long years of research and failed prototypes, Tony created technology that enabled the man to function like he used to. It was worth the hours and sweat and tears to see his friend running along with old military buddies, obviously very pleased with his place in the world.

Tony remembered standing here three years ago, looking over the compound with hope and determination and if he was being honest, a bit of trepidation.

 _I'm going to miss him though. And you're going to miss me. It's going to be a lot of manful tears._

 _I will miss you, Tony._

 _Yeah, but it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I'll take a page out of Barton's book. Build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up._

Suddenly, he felt very alone.

Walking away from the window (not because of any _feelings_ , just because he felt like it, okay?), Tony headed back down to his lab before flying to New York City for dinner with Pepper. Holographic designs and test results filled the air, Friday running simulations constantly.

"How's project Extremis coming, Friday?"

"Simulations have yet to find a solution to your ignition problem. However, I am only part way through your parameters". Friday sounded almost sympathetic. Which was weird, that used to be Jarvis's territory. Friday was more sassy and biting.

"Keep running simulations until all the parameters have been accounted for. Let me know if any come through as successes. I'm going to dinner. Don't wait up for me, honey".

"Of course, Sir. Have fun".

* * *

Tony shivered as he walked through the metal detector. He knew that selling Stark (Avengers) Tower was the right decision, but he missed the ease of owning his own building in New York City. The building security was necessary, as there were celebrities and businessmen like himself who owned apartments here. That didn't make it any less annoying.

"Sir? The detector is going off". Wow, thanks for that observation. Tony merely looked over his shades, eyebrow raised. The security guard showed no signs of recognition. With a petulant eye roll, Tony stepped aside and removed his glasses.

"There's metal in my body from medical procedures. I made that clear to the security team when we bought the apartment. Do you need to see my paperwork? Friday…"

Tony ignored the paling man's stuttered apologies as he pulled his tablet from the conveyor belt. "Friday, look alive. I need the medical paperwork for this pinhead".

"Right away, Sir". And lookie there, the security guy jumped and grabbed the hilt of his gun at the disembodied voice. Where did they find this idiots? Did they just pluck this guy off the street and stuff him in a uniform? Why was everyone so slow these days? Tony was distracted from the deterioration of the human race by the ping of documents loaded on his Starklet. He shoved them in the security guard's face, who barely looked at them before gesturing Tony through. Screw under the radar. Next time he was landing on the roof.

"So sorry Mr. Stark sir".

"Your manager will be hearing about this, young man". God, he sounded like a geezer. Couldn't have that. "Never mind. Just, don't accost me next time and we won't have to deal with this again".

The man gulped and nodded so much Tony was sure his head would pop right off. A raised eyebrow and a pat on the shoulder later, he was in the elevator that lead directly to the penthouse. Viciously removing his tie, he looked at himself in the glass interior of the elevator. Didn't look bad for all the crap he had going on. Needed to find something for the bags under his eyes. Maybe there was a supplement or something? Pepper would know.

Speaking of his fiancé, she was cooking dinner when he walked through the door. Gosh she was beautiful, in her oversized sweatpants and Stark Industries t-shirt. The speakers were blasting rock as she danced around the kitchen. No one else got to see her like this. Sure, Pepper was a force to be reckoned with. But she was also a lot of fun, once you got the perfectly tailored business suit off her. He snuck up on her as best he was able (he was pretty sure she let him) and grabbed her from the back, sweeping her into a bear hug. She swatted him and set the hot pan down.

"Tony! I'm cooking".

"I noticed". Tony was momentarily distracted from Pepper by the concoction in the pan. He grabbed the spoon and went in for a taste, only to have the spoon stolen by Pepper. Unacceptable. He chased after Pepper, intent on tickling her until the food was relinquished when he was interrupted by his phone pinging. Pepper smirked and gestured towards the device before returning to her cooking.

"Ugh if this is Ross, I don't care that he is the Secretary of State, I am going to leave him on hold forever".

But the caller ID wasn't a government number, or a burner. It wasn't even a phone call. It was an update from his apartment's security system.

 _System rebooted. Did this solve your problem? [yes] [no]_

Tony glanced sharply at Pepper. "Hon? Were you having problems with the security system?"

She frowned, tuned into his worried expression. "No. Why?"

Tony's mind was working a mile a minute. If there was a problem, Friday would have notified him and taken care of it. Why was the system manually rebooting? Unless someone was covering their tracks without knowing the extent of his system. Or the system was triggered without Friday picking up on it. Forcing himself to remain calm, he walked leisurely towards the kitchen. "I'm sure it's nothing, dear. Just got a notification that it had been updated".

Pepper's eyes widened with alarm as he walked over and pretended to look for another spoon. His left hand was rummaging through the drawer while his right was sending instructions to Friday. The AI ran thermal scans all over the penthouse, then silently sent Tony the results. Three thermal images. Two in the kitchen, one in the master bathroom. He grabbed his wristbands from the kitchen counter and activated his watch, which formed into a gauntlet over his hand. He motioned for Pepper to stay put, which she promptly ignored (no surprise), grabbing a Glock from under the counter. Before the whole Sokovia Accords snafu, Natasha had been teaching Pepper to use one, as well as stashing them all over their tower. Apparently Pepper had picked up the habit. Double incentive not to piss her off anytime soon. And he definitely needed to thank Natasha before he arrested her, because his fiancé looked _hot_ with a handgun. Focus Tony. Threat. Bathroom. Right.

He crept around the doorway into their master suite, Friday indicating the intruder was still in the bathroom. Tony inched the door open, gauntlet at the ready and Friday posed to send a suit to him…

He paused. Stared at the intruder. Blinked a couple times. Looked at Pepper. Yup, she was seeing the same thing. He wasn't crazy (or at least no more than usual).

Which begged the question: why was the Scarlet Witch in his bathtub? The girl was sleeping, arm positioned protectively over her side. On closer inspection, there was blood seeping through her jacket, slowly dripping down the drain. Tony poked her (sue him, he didn't know how to deal with young adult fugitives showing up bleeding in his house) and oops there she went. Wanda banged her head on the tub spout, hand at the ready to do, whatever it was she did. She lowered her hand once she saw Tony and Pepper, rubbing the back of her head instead and wincing when the movement pulled at her wound. Tony waved with his gauntlet, then positioned the stabilizer so it wasn't pointed at his former teammate.

"Hey Stark".

"Wanda?" Tony was honestly at a loss for words. Which was quite the achievement. She should get a metal. He had received awards for less difficult tasks. "Why are you here? You do know the American government doesn't like you, right?"

Pepper nailed him in the ribs with her bony elbow. Okay, that was maybe insensitive when the girl was bleeding out in his bathtub. But if it bothered Wanda, she didn't say. Merely gestured to her side and shrugged.

"I didn't have many options. And you needed to be warned, so I thought I would down two birds with one bullet".

Eh. Close enough. Wait, "Warned?"

The Scarlet Witch grimaced, "Yeah. He's coming. For Vision, for the sorcerer, for the soul keepers, for Earth".

"Who?" Pepper was kneeling by her now, helping to stem the blood flow as she called up an old nurse friend of hers to help. Discretely of course. "Who's coming?"

"Earth's doom. Death itself". Well, that sounded great. But she wasn't done yet, "The Gauntlet approaches. Beware" she was whispering now, eyes steadily glowing red, "beware the Mad Titan. Or perish".

Silence. "Okay. Thank you for that extremely vague and terrifying declaration. What am I supposed to do about it?"

Wanda just shrugged, "I don't know. That is more your territory, Stark, playing games with politicians. My powers have given me the warning. My purpose is merely to pass the information on".

Pepper glared at him, prompting Tony to move aside as she gathered first aid supplies. "Alright, Wanda. Don't worry about that right now. We are going to get you fixed up here". Good, Pepper was much more soothing than him.

"Yeah and pray Ross doesn't find out" Tony muttered under his breath, retracting his watch gauntlet. "This was a horrible idea, Wanda. You already popped up on the US's radar. I managed to put Ross off for now, but soon enough he will go to the UN and my hands will be tied". Woo-hoo, way to go with the comforting thing, Tony.

Wanda stared at him for a moment, looking like a lost kid. "Wait, so you won't arrest me?"

Tony's breath left him, eyebrows furrowing. "No. The UN hasn't told me to apprehend you, so I am not legally bound to do anything".

Wanda's face relaxed as she slumped further into the tub, "I thought you would want to bring me in. You don't think I'm a monster for not signing? For Lagos?"

Was that truly what she thought of him? Was that what Steve's whole team thought of him? Did his (ex)friends really not know him at all? He ignored the bitter sting of betrayal (because she already betrayed him, he couldn't be more betrayed, right?) and focused on consoling the poor girl, "No, Wanda. I believe oversight is the right thing. So I signed. You made my life difficult, Wanda, but that doesn't make you a monster. As long as you aren't actively disobeying the Sokovia Accords, I am perfectly happy to leave you alone. In fact, in my mind, you chose to retire. So there's no reason to bring you in or even alert the UN or Ross to your presence".

She nodded slowly, then lifted her jacket for Pepper to look at. "Thank you, Tony". He heard the unsaid apology in her tone, the mild undertone of surprise that made his heart warm just a little. Never mind about the Earth's doom or whatever. Screw Ross and the UN meetings and Asgard and the endless simulations to fix his problems. He could deal with that tomorrow. Right now, he would bask in the knowledge that one his teammates had come home.


	3. Thor

**Hello readers! Thanks for the comments and interest in this story! As promised, we get a bit of Thor and Loki in this chapter. Looking ahead, the goal is to post two more chapters before the first Black Panther chapter drops. One will be a Guardians chapter and one will be a mix of Earth characters (including Dr. Strange and Tony Stark). I am going to see the movie opening weekend (so excited) so if anyone wants to chat Black Panther, feel free to PM me. Speaking of, I am going to tentatively plan on dropping my Black Panther chapter Feb. 25th. i'll post a spoiler warning on that one just incase.**

 **Now that housekeeping is out of the way, enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Song: Countdown to Extinction by Megadeath**_

"Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?"

"Yes of course. The people of Earth love me. I'm very popular". Thor crossed his arms, as if confused by the question. His brother merely rolled his eyes.

"Let me rephrase that. Do you think it's a good idea to bring _me_ back to Earth?"

"Probably not, to be honest. I wouldn't worry brother. I feel like everything's going to work out fine".

Thor smiled confidently at Loki, who tentatively smiled back. Suddenly, he heard the heavy whir of a ship approaching, proximity alerts blaring on the bridge. He and his brother looked cautiously up, where a ship easily ten times the size of theirs loomed.

"You were saying?"

Thor merely chose to glare at the fiend, then sounded the ship-wide call to arms. Valkyrie strode up to the bridge from below, discounting both the men in favor of studying the ship in front of them. Her face paled.

"We need to leave. Now".

Surprisingly Loki didn't voice a single insult or question, quickly striding to the helm instead. He leaned over the navigation system and worked with another Asgardian to reset the computer. They were barely ten jumps into a fifty jump trip between the now destroyed Asgard and Earth. Thor rather thought they deserved a quiet trip, but apparently the universe disagreed. He turned back to the window, where Heimdall now stood with Valkyrie.

"Whose ship is that?"

At first he thought she wouldn't reply, but then she stated, "Outriders. Thanos's followers. He aims to sweep up the pieces of Asgard".

Loki snorted behind them. "He cares nothing for Asgard. Only the treasures buried within".

Of course. "The Space Stone. Brother, did it remain in the vault when you sought the helm?"

"Yes". Thor glanced sideways at his brother, who seemed completely genuine. Seemed being the key word. For now, the trickster's word would have to be enough. There was no time for second-guesses.

"Then he will have to venture past Hela and Surtur to find it. Though I would not qualify that as safe, it will be most difficult for the Mad Titan to acquire".

Loki grimaced, "Yes, if he was going to Asgard for it. But here we are, hundreds of people on a ship leaving the realm. Most would assume we are carrying the treasures of Odin's vault. I do believe he intends to take it from us".

"And we don't have it". Odin's beard. Why couldn't they get a break? "Heimdall, Valkyrie. What defenses does this vessel have?"

"Defenses? This ship is about as useful in battle as a Midgardian bunny. The only advantage this gilded hunk of metal has are the shields, but they're pretty much shot after our grand escapade on Asgard. Two bow lasers, but their maintenance hasn't been kept up and we are dangerously low on additional power packs. Aft shielding is a joke, the hull quality is subpar. Sacrificed for aesthetics. I wish I could have a word with that pasty, silver haired imbecile…"

"We do not have many options, my liege" Heimdall summed up Valkyrie's rant. "Our only hope is to run and hope Thanos cannot catch us".

"Which is a futile hope. The navigation system needs time to reset. We will run nowhere for 5 more minutes. Face it, brother, we are in dire straits".

Wow. Thanks for the support. Thor crossed his arms and made his displeasure known; "Thank you, brother. I do not know what I would do without you".

Loki merely rolled his eyes. Knave. "What if I was to offer a third option? One that you will not be pleased to hear, but is Asgard's only hope?"

"Speak plainly, brother. There is no time to waste".

"While in Odin's throne room at your bequest, I thought it prudent to acquire a piece of Odin's treasure. One that may aid us in escaping now".

"So you took the Tesarract?"

"I took the Tesarract". The man shrugged, a smug grin adorning his face. "It was in the vault when I went for the helm, brother. Just not when I left. You must learn to ask better questions".

"Save it Horn-Head. What do you suggest we do with the cube of death?" Valkyrie was unamused yet unperturbed by the seemed betrayal either. Of course, Thor realized, that could have something to do with steadily emptying bottle in her hand. Or the fact that she really didn't care about their family squabbles. His attention was rerouted by Loki's _brilliant_ plan.

"Leave the inadequate vessel. Ferry our people through and use the space stone instead of a ship to get to Earth".

"My liege, you cannot possibly consider this. If we leave the ship, we are stuck without transport wherever the tesseract spits us out".

Good thought. Point, Heimdall. "Loki, this is a civilian vessel. Leaving the ship affords our people no protection but what the Revengers can provide. It is foolish".

Loki's face contorted, all thought and humor shoved aside for anger and…fear? What was did his brother fear? "You are foolish, Odinson. I am wiser than you but more importantly I am a _survivor_. And a survivor always knows the best way to get people out of a quandary without dying. If we stay here, _brother_ , then we all die. I am offering your people a chance to live. You are offering them a meaningless death. Choose wisely, my dear brother, or regret it forever".

Ouch. However much he quarreled with Loki, there was no mistaking the fear in his brother's eyes and the conviction in his words. Perhaps Thor should consider…he shuddered at the very thought… _retreating_. The word itself almost made him nauseous, but there was little else to be done at this point. He regretfully added two points to Loki's count. Valkyrie stood beside him, nudged him with her shoulder, and gave him the _I agree with him don't be a naïve fool_ eyes. If his brother and the warrioress were agreed, then perhaps Thor should listen. He nodded curtly at her, then turned to Heimdall, his ever faithful advisor and friend. "Work with Loki. Lead us to Earth".

His brother needed no additional encouragement, making for his bag and pulling out the tesseract.

"You kept that thing in your purse?"

Loki merely rolled his eyes at his brother. "Not a purse, meathead. And where else would I put it?"

Thor shrugged and switched on the ship-wide intercom system. "People of Asgard, we have fallen prey to a hostile ship. We are evacuating. Please gather in an orderly fashion on the bridge. Bring only yourselves". He glanced at his brother and advisor, then flicked on a timer. "Everyone has ten minutes to be on the bridge. Those who are not present will be left behind. Warriors will be sweeping the decks to assist anyone who requires aid. That is all". Thor switched off the intercom, perhaps a little harder than necessary. He shooed the navigation crew away from the controls and nodded to his brother.

"How long until he grows tired of waiting?"

Loki shrugged, "He's scanning the ship for the tesseract. As soon as he realizes it's here, he will destroy our ship. There will be no mercy for Asgard today".

"I'm surprised he hasn't attacked sooner" Valkyrie muttered, drinking the last drop of her rum and fingering her sword. "His ship is the most advanced in the galaxy. He has legions at his command. He should have attacked by now. Why hasn't he?"

Thor considered the ship looming out the window. "Perhaps he wishes to draw things out. He has never been a friend of Asgard".

"No, that's not it". Thor turned back to his brother, who was suddenly very pale. Well, paler than usual. "He's waiting for me. I was supposed to bring him the tesseract when I was done with Earth. He's testing me, attempting to goad me into crawling back to his feet like a wounded dog. Do not worry brother" Loki added "I know how that scenario would end for me. I am not such a fool to think I can play Thanos and win. We need to go now".

"Our people are not up here yet, Loki. We cannot abandon them".

"You don't get it!" Loki hissed, suddenly right under Thor's face, hands bunched in his tunic. "He will destroy us all. If we don't leave before he realizes I'm not coming, he will bathe the starways with the blood and agony of our people. He will make us wish for something as sweet as pain". His brother's voice cracked painfully, then tapered off into a whisper. "Asgard will be no more. We have to move now".

Thor considered Loki. A survivor, indeed. However, "I will not leave without them Loki. And neither will you. I need you to make sure the tesseract is ready to return to Earth. I will buy us time".

Thor strode past his flabbergasted brother and a protesting Heimdall. He only stopped when he reached the one woman in all of Asgard who would do as he asked. "Valkyrie, if he's ready and all our people are here, you leave. With or without me". She began to protest and shake her head, but he fixed his one eye on hers. "Asgard is a people, Valkyrie. Without them, I am nothing. While there is still breath in Asgard, there will be breath in me". Once the woman slowly nodded, Thor clapped his hands loudly, drawing the attention in the room back to him. "But that will not be a problem. Because Thanos doesn't know what he signed up for when he preyed on Asgard".

"What are you going to do, my liege?"

Thor stepped into the bridge emergency exit port, letting the atmospheric barrier close behind him as he grinned, "Something dramatic".

And with a salute (which he learned from the Captain could be sarcastic as well as respectful) he back-flipped out the now open spacelock door. He momentarily felt the pull of space, the emptiness and cold and complete lack of gravity. Instead of falling prey to it like other frail species, he embraced the still and let it carry him where he wanted to go. He could not fly without his precious Mjolnir (lost forever, stupid sister, endlessly taking what was his), but in space everyone could float. Once he was squarely in front of the Asgardian ship (and therefore facing down the really quite intimidating enemy vessel), he attempted to cease his momentum. After a bit of trial and error (really, Loki, we are about to die, there is no need to laugh that loud) he remained marginally still, ready to face down the Mad Titan himself. His grip on the borrowed sword tightened in anticipation.

"Thanos of Titan, Overlord of the Outriders, feared scourge of the galaxy, we welcome you into Asgardian space. I, King Thor Odinson of Asgard and guardian of Midguard, humbly request an audience". Well there, brother. Thor paid attention in his mother's diplomacy lessons after all. However, if he was being honest, he had no idea what to do after the introductions. He rather thought someone named the Mad Titan wouldn't care much for protocol after he was aboard though. Might not even care about it now. That was probably the only thing Thor and Thanos had in common, a complete disregard for diplomatic behavior…

A relatively small laser beam hit him in the shoulder. That was the only warning he received before the dark vessel's turrets spun to life, targeting the Odinson with the intention of blasting him into oblivion. However, the turret controller found themselves rather, well, out of control when attempting to fire. Looking out the window, they noticed their guns were smoking. As if they were hit by an EMP. Both controllers slowly turned to look out the window at the Asgardian, who was wreathed in lightning.

Thor grinned at Thanos's vessel as his lighting breached the shields and took out their turrets. Whichever foolish Outrider fired early saved Thor's life. Or at least his dignity. Their guns were only momentarily halted of course, but Thor had never been one to leave any victory uncelebrated. "What's wrong, Thanos? Never seen a lighting storm in space?"

With that final insult, Thor used the energy from his lighting to launch himself at the ship, breaching the shields easily (the shields were electric currents after all, why would they stop more of themselves from entering?) and cracking into the hull with a satisfying whoosh of pressure changes. Outriders were waiting for him, but he cared not for them. They were like wheat before him, falling to the Odinson's lighting and sword. He was only steps away from the bridge when a shape hurled itself at him. Thor lost track of gravity and motion and space until he found himself embedded in the thick metal of the wall. A large man stood in front of him, axe in hand and murderous look in his eyes. What really gave it away though was his protruding eye bones and weird skin goatee things.

"Cull Obsidian, what an honor. Looking as ugly as ever, I see". Thor gingerly climbed out of the Asgardian-sized dent in the wall, swiping some blood off his face with a nonchalant hand gesture.

"Odinson. I'm surprised you can see anything at all. Word is your sister destroyed Asgard and thoroughly humiliated you".

"There is nothing humiliating in defeat at the hands of the goddess of death herself. Even less when you take her down with you. Don't be embarrassed by your blunder. I am assured you know little of honor. Was it not you who ravaged the refugee outpost of Mutarin?"

The man merely grunted. "On the orders of my Lord. There is no greater definition of honor, Asgardian".

Thor shook his head, sneaking a look at the watch adorning his wrist. Five more minutes. He needed into that bridge. "Then there is nothing else I can do for you. Let me through, hellion. I would have words with your _Lord_ ".

The man's face contorted into…well, something. Thor couldn't tell if it was a smile or a hateful glare. Those eyebones made it so hard to tell what the man was doing with his face and…

Thor barely dodged the axe swipe at his head. He wasted no more time, drawing his sword and attempted to dodge as nimbly as possible. There was a time he would have thrown himself into battle without a second thought. But if his time on Earth taught him anything, it was to not underestimate his opponents. So he sized up Cull Obsidian, noting the strength it must take to wield the axe. His reptilian skin would be harder to pierce than human flesh, but not as hard as Asgardian skin. Thor did not usually fight with much finesse, but this was one opponent he could not defeat through strength alone. Better to play his brothers part, if even for a moment, and take advantage of any potential weaknesses.

Though it physically hurt him to dodge, his ploy paid off when a frustrated Cull swiped too hard at Thor's face. When the man overcompensated, Thor went for his legs, cutting his hamstrings neatly in two, then digging the sword into his shoulder. He was aiming for the spine, but Cull was not an agent of Thanos for nothing. He had superb reflexes.

Thor knew that would not keep him down for long, so the son of Odin took the opportunity to open the bridge doors and slip through. He closed the doors quickly behind him and breathed a sigh of relief as he destroyed the control panel. Cull roared in frustration against the door as Thor laughed, the sound reverberating off the walls of the bridge. The Odinson spewed insults at the man behind the door. Only then did he turn around…

Straight into the faces of Thanos and two of his other children. Plus about a hundred Outriders, but Thor didn't really count them, they were no match for the might of Asgard. He cleared his throat, startling a few of the Outriders near him. "Hi!"

And for the second time that day (that very, very long day) Thor found himself inside a Thor-shaped dent in the hull. Ouch. "Now wait just a second, Thanos. I merely want to discuss the matter of our surrender…"

And the trice-cursed Titan cur was now squeezing his head painfully, removing him from his uncoordinated pile in the wall to drag him along the walkway towards the window. His face was pressed uncomfortably against the glass as the Titan sneered.

"Look, little god. Look at the first society to be cleansed. The mighty, hypocritical Asgardians. Balance shall be restored. The singularities will weep with joy, even death herself will be satisfied".

Thor wasn't too sure about that. His sister was the type of woman who wanted to do thing for herself. Fight, take care of animals, burn an ancient civilization to the ground, genocide. She really was delightful.

Thanos nodded to a tall slender woman, who gave the order to fire on the Asgardian ship. The weapons spun, heating in their cylinders…

"My Lord? The space stone is no longer on the ship. Life signs have disappeared as well". The Outrider quailed, as he should. Thanos didn't seem the type to thank the bearer of bad news. But the Mad Titan merely frowned, "It appears I underestimated the Trickster. Track them. We have more…pressing business at hand".

The Titan loomed over Thor, never releasing the grip around his cranium. "As for you, godling, you will die with far more dignity than you deserve. The first sacrifice, what an honor".

Thor knew what was coming, but his body was still unprepared for the cold sting of metal on his throat. He couldn't brace for the river of heat across his neck or the impact against the glass and then the shields. He certainly didn't predict the blanket of space which he embraced and called his own merely minutes ago would turn against him and trap him in its stifling embrace. He knew he would die in battle one day, but he expected to be burned and sent to Valhalla. Who could have prophesied the resting place of the Odinson would be among the broken pieces of Asgard's deliverance? Of Asgard's false hope? Thor tried to take heart in the survival of his people, his family. But he could do nothing as the bitter cold overtook his senses and sent him into the great oblivion.

* * *

"Loki, now or never!" Valkyrie screamed over the blare the ship's alarms. Thanos had locked on to their ship after his turrets regained functionality. His brother…

"We have to wait for Thor!" He could scarcely believe he was saying it, but he wouldn't have believed the events of the week if someone had shown him in a scrying crystal. The sword-wielding witch shoved him aside and grabbed the tesseract, ignoring the frightened cries of the Asgardians as the bridge glowed blue and spit them out on a bed of snow. On Earth. Without his brother.

"How dare you! The tesseract is mine to wield and mine alone…"

The Valkyrie merely scoffed, unconvinced. "You do not own the space stone, son of Odin. But if you want it, here". She tossed him the cube, chuckling to herself when he fumbled for it. His cheeks burned but he ignored her, brushing the snow off his clothes and taking in the view. The space stone landed them high in the mountains. A remote area. Definitely not where he wanted to go. But still, Earth. It was a start.

The woman looked at him with a frown, "If you cared so much for your brother as to not risk the rest of our lives, then you would be headed back there. You have the space stone, trickster. Afraid of the vacuum of space? Afraid you will find something brought to fruition by your actions?"

" _My_ actions!" the son of Frigga roared, pulling out an ornate dagger. "You were the one who failed to defeat Hela the first time!"

"Silence!" Heimdall tried to break up the pair. Loki scoffed even as he circled Valkyrie. They were both strong willed and fierce warriors. Neither would accept the slights of the other without retribution. Luckily (for Valkyrie, definitely not for himself, he assuredly would have won), Bruce Banner chose to make his appearance, though it looked as though the other guy didn't much like trips through space and time. The Hulk looked confused as he emerged from a snowdrift and shook the wet fluff off him. Then, he saw the tesseract. In the hands of Loki. Great. His day was just getting better and better.

"Puny god has glow box! Hulk hates glow box and shiny spear!"

"No, no, Hulk, I'm going to use it to get off this mountain. Maybe New York. No, that would not be a good idea. Those people have no appreciation for my panache…"

Loki's perfectly reasonable plans were interrupted by the Hulk's roar, who then backhanded him into the mountain. He definitely didn't whimper as he freed himself from the snowdrift gingerly. Not at all. His head cleared the snow just in time to see the Hulk attempt to smash the tesseract. _His_ precious tesseract.

"No, Hulk, NO!"

And with a flash of blue the Hulk disappeared into the night. Luckily (thank the gods) the tesseract was left behind. Alright, all they needed to do was get to someplace safe and out of the way where they could arm up and escape whenever Thanos finally came calling.

"Alright people! Today has sucked. We are going to make it to the village below us, and rest up there until we recover our strength". Valkyrie drew their attention to pinpricks of light down the path. She also added under her breath, "And figure out what in the Seven Realms we are going to do".

Loki sighed and looked around the desolate area they were sent to. He supposed his plans for world enlightenment (and survival) could wait until the morning. The son of Frigga started to trudge through the snow, sparing a moment for his fallen brother. He was an awful sibling, arrogant, boastful, stupid, slow, and annoying; but Loki couldn't help but miss him when he was gone.

On the other hand, the tickle in the back of his mind implied he would see Thor much sooner than Valhalla.


	4. Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff

**Hello friends! Sorry I disappeared for a couple weeks there...life decided to throw all the exams at me. I'm back with a quick update tonight as an apology for ignoring this for two, three weeks. I had to add another lead-up chapter, otherwise this chapter was going to be a** **monster. Like, upwards of 7000 words.**

 **Today I bring you Tony Stark and Wanda Maximoff. Next update will not be Black Panther unfortunately. Probably will be the Guardians or Dr. Strange. Then we'll hit Wakanda. By the way, Black Panther is _fantastic,_ go see it if you haven't already. I'll give a spoiler warning at the top of that chapter when it drops. **

**Thanks to everyone reading and special thanks to those who have favorited, followed, or commented. I'll try to address comments every few chapters from now on:**

 **dragonrider1234: Thank you! Probably the hardest part about writing so many characters is attempting to capture their distinct personalities. I am glad you enjoyed the beginning!**

 **Bunyx: You'll get some more Wanda in this chapter!**

 **Sugar: Thank you! Hopefully you will enjoy the ride!**

 **Mamba: Thank you! Dr. Strange should show up either in the next chapter or the one after that. I had to get some background set before he made his grand entrance!**

 **FavFan: Or did he *wink wink*? There are still a couple trailer scenes with him that I haven't addressed yet :)**

 **willdawg992003: Thank you for your comments! You are right, it is likely Gamora knows of Loki, but she probably wasn't aware of the location of all the infinity stones since she wasn't really a part of the Black Order (at least that is my theory). I'm completely flattered you think I have an in at Marvel. I totally wish I did, but alas...as for appeasing death, well, you'll have to wait and see! I'm so glad you caught that!**

 **Anonymous: Thank you! The Guardians will _absolutely_ screw around with the Avengers. I love the rumors flying around about the Lego sets. Unfortunately my story probably won't incorporate a ton of those elements as my chapters so far (especially this one) negate a few of those rumors already. But I'm definitely using some of those rumors as inspiration! **

**Apologies made, game plan laid out, comments addressed. Houston, we are ready for takeoff. Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Song: Mind Games by Sickick_**

"Sir?"

"Sir?"

"Sir!"

"Go away, Friday".

"My apologies Sir, but you have a meeting with Dr. Selvig this morning".

"Cancel it".

"I must apologize again Sir, but Ms. Potts asked me to ensure you got up and made it to your office before the meeting". Friday didn't sound very sorry. Almost smug, in fact.

Tony sat up, hair strewn every which way and a bit of drool stuck to his cheek. "She's gone already?"

"Yes sir, she had SI meetings in Washington DC today".

"And Wanda?"

"Ms. Maximoff has been moved to the Avengers facility upstate".

Tony chuckled to himself as he ungracefully rolled out of bed and onto the floor. "I guess that's the last place Ross would look. Just make sure he doesn't plan any surprise visits. I'm assuming Vision was happy".

He could almost hear Friday smiling. "Yes Sir".

"Did she say anything about what happened?"

"No Sir. She was quite out of it. I believe Vision is waiting for her to wake up. I am sure he will fill us in when necessary".

Tony nodded to himself. He had expected that. "Coffee?"

"Started 15 minutes ago".

"You're the best, Friday. Though I created you, so technically, I'm the best".

30 minutes later Tony was in the suit and headed out to Avengers Headquarters. Ugh, Selvig. The man was amusing, he would give him that. But the crackpot theories were a bit much for even Tony Stark. He liked concrete science, facts, engineering. Stuff he could experiment and touch and see. Selvig lived in the impossible. Which made him extremely valuable in circumstances such as the Battle of New York, extremely annoying on a daily basis. Tony shuddered to think they would be in another situation like New York anytime soon. Actually, anytime at all. Tony had no desire to fight aliens _ever_ again.

He angled his suit towards the helipad on top of Avengers Headquarters. Rodey stood by the door holding a manila file and glancing at his watch. Jerk.

"Well look who decided to show up to work".

He was not awake enough for this. "It's 8 am, Rodey, not noon. Give me a break".

"Never, Mr. Stank".

"You _have_ to let that go!"

"Nope, you're stuck with it for life".

The two men walked down the stairs, Rodey limping ever so slightly. He would have to look at his spinal implant later. Make sure it wasn't glitching. If it wasn't, there was always the chance it was a psychosomatic problem. Maybe he should ask Bruce. Or Dr. Cho. And Rodey was staring at him. Right. Meeting with crazy pants.

"Fine, if I'm stuck with Mr. Stank, you're never living down the Iron Patriot. Or that one spring break trip…"

"Yeah, yeah, we've both got dirt on each other. No need to prove it". Rodey hurriedly shushed him. The support team they walked past was trying really hard to look like they weren't listening. "Selvig is waiting in the conference room. He brought Darcy with him. Was that you?"

Tony snatched the file from his friend's hand and smirked, "Yeah. What can I say, the girl is amusing. And of course a valuable scientific mind".

He ignored Rodey's muttered, "Isn't she a political science major?" and strode into the room. "Dr. Selvig, always a pleasure".

"Mr. Stark". The man nearly fell over himself as he appeared from between stacks of papers that appeared to be calculations and astrocharts. The man needed to discover technology, stat. Maybe Tony would take pity on him and give him a Starkpad before he left. He inclined his head to the brunette girl perched on the edge of the table, popping bubble gum while fidgeting with a modified phase meter.

"Sup, Stark?" She tilted her head, then asked, "Does your suit have air conditioning?"

"Yes".

She nodded as if life itself made sense, then returned to the phase meter. "Cool".

Momentary distraction over, Tony turned back to Dr. Selvig. "Pepper told me you have some theories to share?"

Dr. Selvig nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I do! Are you familiar with the lore of Ragnarok?"

"Asgardian end of days?" Tony set down the file, then picked up some of Selvig's papers. "Yes, I'm familiar with the mythology".

"I believe it has begun. Perhaps already ended. There were two great energy surges over the past couple weeks. One here on Earth and one in the general vicinity of Asgard. I was just lucky I keep my equipment trained on that sector of the galaxy. I believe if Thor is still alive, he will be returning to Earth".

"So your theory is that giants, Loki, and a wolf consumed the life tree or whatever and restarted the universe? I think we would have noticed something like that".

"No, no. That may have been how it happened long ago, but I believe that the current Asgardian Ragnarok would be exactly that: confined to Asgard".

"Thor said something about a fire demon, Sulfur or something" Darcy piped up from the couch. She was now wadding Selvig's papers into balls and throwing them at his head. "I would have remembered a wolf".

"Asgardian Ragnarok would be the perfect time for whoever is hunting infinity stones to make his final push. Asgard is the protector of Midgard and the rest of this galaxy. With their defeat, it would leave us vulnerable". Selvig valiantly tried to ignore Darcy's assault.

"Theoretically" Tony reminded him. Wait. "Back up a second. Who is hunting what? Thor called the mind stone an infinity stone. The tesseract was one too, right?"

"Yes. Thor took me to a Norn cave during the whole Ultron mess and received a warning of Ragnarok and the infinity stones. These stones are the essences of the early universe. Each harnesses more power than you can possibly imagine. Three infinity stones don't just pop up like they have without someone pulling the strings".

Tony glared at Selvig for a moment. "Hold the phone. The tesseract, currently on Asgard. The mind stone, currently in Vision. What is the third one?"

"The Aether". At Tony's blank look, the man hurriedly added, "it popped up when Thor was on Earth during the Dark Elves' invasion. In Greenwich? The reality stone?"

"Okay". Tony sat down and looked at the file again. With more interest this time. Ragnarok was a stretch, but even Tony could admit things had been different the past ten years. Between the rise of superheroes, the alien invasion, the fall of SHIELD, Ultron, hell even Thor himself, it had been a strange decade. It wasn't a stretch to imagine there was a puppet master, orchestrating the events of the universe so the pieces would fall to him. Or her. From his experience, evil was gender neutral. Though there did seem to be more male supervillains than female…

These energy readings from the last couple weeks were very interesting indeed. The first from Earth was like nothing he had ever seen. Massive amounts of power leaking from Norway over an extended period of time, culminating with one final release of power last week. How had he missed this?

At first glance the other seemed innocuous. Asgard was far enough away the Earth wouldn't see the effects of an energy surge unless they were looking for it. But Selvig apparently was. And the energy readings were astronomical, even accounting for the distance between Earth and Asgard. Nothing good could have caused that. He was about to ask Darcy what she meant by a sulfur man when one of the many machines Selvig brought started to beep. Darcy backed away and held up her hands, "I didn't touch it".

Tony looked over the shoulder of Dr. Selvig as the man gasped, hand clutching his chest. A moment later, the billionaire knew why. "That's the tesseract. What the _hell_ is the tesseract doing back on Earth?"

"Is _he_ here? He was supposed to be dead, but he never seems to stay that way…" Selvig was muttering, collecting papers and looking suspiciously close to removing his pants in order to "think better".

Darcy was looking a little less bored than usual. "Oh, I like him. He's evil but entertaining at least. Maybe he just needs company. Thor has Mew-Mew. Let's get Loki a cat or a mace or something. Oh! I could get him a taser!"

Tony despaired for the human race as he ran out of the room, barking the coordinates from the machine at Friday. After instructing the scientists to stay in the conference room and Rodey to get the team ready just in case, he jumped in his suit and flew towards the coordinates. Right in the middle of New York City. On the way, he was definitely thinking about the tesseract and preventing alien invasions and evacuation routes. Not Loki with a cat.

* * *

Alarms blared through Avengers Headquarters, startling Wanda awake. She had her powers prepared instantly, shoving the figure beside her into the wall…

And oops, it was Vision. As quickly as she attacked him she let him go, returning to the bed and holding her head in her hands.

The Vision didn't even look fazed, merely melted through the floor, then returned as the alarms went silent. "We are just on high alert. No need to be alarmed".

"Ugh". Wanda had a headache the size of Sokovia. Her hand drifted down to her side, where some neat stitches and a persisting ache were all that remained of her previous injury. She vaguely remembered a nice woman coming into Tony's apartment and fixing her up, Pepper stroking her hair and murmuring as the woman expertly plucked pieces of the blade out of her side. Chloe or Claire or something like that. She didn't remember much more. But Vision was here, so that must mean she was at the Avengers Headquarters. And wasn't chained to the bed or fitted with a shock collar. This was already going better than she had anticipated.

"Are you quite alright, Wanda?" Vision's hand hovered over her shoulder, as if he was afraid he would spook her.

"I'm fine, Vis". She was shocked when her voice creaked and scratched. How long had she been out? Then, she noticed the hand hovering over her protectively wasn't…red.

It was definitely Vision. She could feel that with certainty. But the man looked nothing like he had before. Instead of red skin, he looked human. White pasty skin with blonde hair, his tight fitting blue shirt looked like it belonged, instead of his out-of-place sweaters from two years before. The eyes though, the eyes were the same.

"Vis? What happened?"

The android looked down at himself in confusion, then seemed to understand. "Oh! It makes people much more comfortable when I appear…human…in daily life. As a member of the Avengers, I often have to appear before the United Nations. It was prudent to learn to change the color and texture of my molecules to emulate the human image".

She couldn't help it. She laughed. Vision looked confused, but chuckled a bit with her. "They like you to appear human until they need your help. Then they are happy to see a flying red man, yes?"

"Yes" Vision smiled a bit more genuinely now. "Yes, I suppose they are". He quieted for a moment, lost in thought. "We don't do much now. Train a lot. Ask the UN council to send us where we are needed. Sometimes they do. They sent us to help in Manchester when the concert was attacked. Some hostage rescue missions". He hesitated before tentatively continuing, "I wish I could say it was because the world was getting better. According to my calculations, powered villain attacks should decrease with the Accords and they have".

"Then why are you upset?" Wanda tilted her head, studying Vision. She wasn't sure if he noticed, but he exhibited more human traits than before. He was unsure of himself, his emotions chaotic instead of the clear calculation he exhibited before the Accords.

"Look at you, Wanda. If the world was improving, then why are you hurt? And why didn't we get notice of any attacks?" The android was genuinely troubled.

"Because Natasha, mostly. She is good at pinpointing potential targets. She still has contacts in dozens of nations. I can't say much more. I believe in what our friends are doing and do not want to jeopardize their work, but we are working in the shadows. Trying to stop attacks before they start. Obviously they aren't always successful, but it helps". Wanda gauged Vision's interest, and seeing no hint of disgust, she continued, "Natasha and Steve make a scary team sometimes. And we are effective. But…you are right. Powered villains are laying low. And Vis, it's not because of the Accords, however much I wish that were true. Something is coming. They're fortifying themselves and bracing for the fallout".

"Does that have anything to do with this?" Vision pointed at her side.

"Maybe". She stood up again, slowly walking to the window. It was raining in upstate New York, water dripping steadily from the gutter above them. The sky had darkened, a clear indicator that the storm would continue for some time. "A former…acquaintance of Natasha's, Mikula, he was gathering supplies, men. Then he stopped. Went completely off the radar. It made her nervous, so we went to see him. The Avengers who didn't sign, we normally don't work as a team, it draws too much attention, but Widow wanted me there. Apparently he was enhanced, telepathic". Wanda hugged herself, pulling the sweater she was wearing closer around her. Vision stepped up beside her, silently waiting for her to continue. She turned back to the window.

"When we arrived, he was crazy. Repeated the same things over and over. Fought us off when we tried to question him. Thought I was Maw, whoever that was. Then he showed me. It was so…fast…I couldn't understand everything. Just…pieces. Mad Titan. Earth. Infinity Stones. Two, maybe three on Earth. Time. Mind. Soul-keepers. While I was distracted he slipped his dagger into my side. Thought I was Maw again. Widow got me out, but the politsiya came. Apparently they were after Mikula for stealing missiles. She wrapped my injury up, put me on a train to Kiev. I was out of it, my powers were screaming at me. To get back, to protect the source. You".

Wanda refused to look at Vision, even as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have learned how to stay under the radar. I called in some favors, got a ride to JFK then hightailed it to Stark's place. Even if he arrested me, he could protect you. I just needed to pass on the information".

Finally, Wanda turned to the side. Vision's face was contorted into an almost amusing combination of fear, confusion, and protectiveness. How could she make him understand when she didn't even understand herself? He knew more about the mind stone than anyone, but even he would admit his knowledge was rudimentary at best. Almost without thinking, she reached up to where the mind stone usually sat on his brow. The stone glowed in response; her powers trailed out of their own accord and embraced the stone. Ah. Wanda gently manipulated them, then asked, "May I show you?"

Vision nodded. She concentrated, bringing up the memories as if it were nothing. Death and destruction from the stars. A hand of gold. Ash and dust, the smell of decay and death, a man bowing at the feet of a throne of bones. Three stones, the mind stone, the time stone, the soul stone. Vision, standing proud and tall, then writhing on the ground in agony. A goateed man with a red cloak, time held in his hands, sorrow in his eyes. A woman adorned in gold, sending a package to the stars surrounded by thick jungle, war drums drawing nearer and nearer. A deep voice laughing, looking down on a small blue and green globe. "Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives".

With a start, Wanda pulled back, bringing her powers under control once more. Vision was panting, overwhelmed as his electronic brain attempted to sort out the details. The stone still glowed in his forehead. Without hesitating, Wanda cradled his head in her hands. "We can stop this, Vis. This is what the Avengers came together for".

"To see if we could become something more. Something that could keep the Earth from harm, be better than humanity".

"Be the _best_ of humanity" Wanda gently corrected. "We did lots of good together, did we not? We can do so again. Or, at least you can". She pulled back a bit. "I'm more of a liability than a help right now. Can't go out in public lest Ross finds me".

Vision seemed to start a bit at her declaration. "What you saw, I don't think the law is going to matter when the time comes. Will you stand by us, Wanda? Even though we abandoned you?"

Wanda smiled. "Of course. And I am not without fault. If you abandoned me, then I also abandoned you".

Vision's comlink suddenly pinged. "Vision".

"Get her out of here. Ross is here. Something happened in New York. He wants a meeting". Rodey's voice was tight and stern. Something was very wrong. "He knows she's here, Vision. He has sent his men looking. I know he's trying to distract me with whatever he has come to meet about". A voice crackled in the background, then faded out as Rodey cut the connection. Wanda turned to Vision, trying to drown the fear she knew was in her eyes.

"No" was all he said, pulling her closer. "No, we will stay together. Fight together. A cracked weapon is not strong".

"Vis, you have to let me go". She shushed his inevitable argument as the sound of boots echoed up the hallway. "I'll come back. You know how to reach me". The men pounded at the door, demanding they open it. "The mind stone. We are connected. Just let me know when and where and I will be there. Might bring some friends if that's okay".

He nodded. Wanda hesitated for a moment, then drew him in quickly, lips meeting momentarily. The symphony of pounding on the door behind them drew her away, glancing at the window. She snatched her coat from the chair, ignoring the bloodstain from her injury as Vision wrapped a scarf around her neck and placed a ski hat on her head.

The door burst open behind them as a dozen booted men bolted into the room. Vision shifted into a defensive stance. That wouldn't do. Wanda used her powers to quickly knock him out. How could they protect him if the government branded him a traitor? Her powers watched her back without prompting as she launched herself through the bulletproof window, landing almost effortlessly on the grass below. Summoning her power back to her, she took a deep breath and calmed her mind. She had been practicing under the guidance of Natasha and Steve. "I don't want to be here". She ran smoothly through the long grass surrounding Avengers Headquarters. "I don't want to be here". Her power rose easily to her hands as she zig zagged to avoid bullets. As soon as she reached the tree line, where more men with guns inevitably waited for her, she stopped. Breathed. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be here. "I'm not here. I never was".

And she was gone, standing silently on the shore of the East River. No one was alarmed by her sudden appearance, because in their minds, she had walked up nearly ten minutes ago. With a deep breath and a glance at her watch, she pulled her scarf around her and headed down Houston Street. The alarms at Avengers Headquarters. Something was wrong. Her instincts told her the problem was here. Northwest. She nodded to herself, adjusted her coat, and lost herself in a sea of people. The stage was set. The first move was made. And she didn't even know what game they were playing. Time to find out.

* * *

The stench of fresh blood permeated the air, blending perfectly with the cries of the soon dead in the background. Proxima Midnight thrusted her spear through the skull of a man dressed in blue leathers. A woman with white hair in the same blue leathers pleaded from the ground, bracing her gushing arm against her chest. "Rhomann!"

Midnight chuckled, then rested the butt of her spear respectfully on the ground as her commander passed. He strode into the vault, tearing the door off like it was nothing but cardboard. It _was_ nothing, like the rest of the universe, to the might of her master. When he returned, he dropped a purple gem into the golden gauntlet on his hand. The woman on the floor cried out, trying in vain to call someone on her comlink. Thanos merely laughed.

"Your precious Guardians cannot help you now. You sent them away". Her Lord's booming voice filled the room. She stood taller, proud to be standing beside him at the beginning of his reign of glory. "Thank you, for keeping this safe for me".

Proxima Midnight nodded at Thanos, then stepped forward. It would be an honor and privilege to cleanse the filth from her Lord's sight. She relished the snick of her spear through the ranting woman's cranium, satisfied that more opportunities such as this would be coming. Death must be appeased. Midnight was only too happy to oblige.


	5. Peter Quill II

**Hello friends! We have a lot to discuss because:**

 **1\. AVENGERS INFINITY WAR IS BEING RELEASED A WEEK EARLY! Which is fantastic, but not so fantastic for my updating schedule.**

 **2\. I will be unable to write this upcoming week and have no internet access the next week. Yay. So don't expect anything until around March 18th, but the plan is to post a long and action packed update as soon as I am able.**

 **3\. I'm really hoping for about a 15 chapter story. Which means I need to get my rear in gear on updates. Nevertheless, this story WILL BE COMPLETED before Infinity Wars drops (now on April 27th). *Takes deep breath and types faster***

 **4\. I verbatim quote some of the leaked Comic Con trailer footage in this chapter. So just a reminder that I own none of the characters, scenes from the trailers, references to the movies or comics, or songs I am referencing at the beginning of each chapter.**

 **Alright enough from me. Thanks for reading, and a special thank you to those who commented, favorited, or liked. I appreciate the interest in this story! Enjoy a chapter staring the Guardians of the Galaxy!**

* * *

 ** _Song: Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas_**

"We are arriving" Mantis sounded nervous, hands clenching and unclenching Peter's seat. The swirl of jump-space faded away as the Milano halted on the outskirts of Via Lactea. Empty space lingered in front of them, the restricted galaxy visible as only a pinprick in the corner of his windshield.

He glanced at Mantis for a moment, then turned back to the expanse of stars before him. "Don't forget this might be dangerous, so let's put on our mean faces."

It didn't take long to find the wreckage of the civilian freighter. As usual, the briefing from Dey was excruciatingly detailed. Peter much prefered Ravager briefings: this here's the shiny thing we need to steal, blow up everything in your way and don't get caught " 'cause we ain't goin' back to save yer fool ass from yer own stupidity, boy, ya hear me?"

The wreckage itself didn't look unusual: broken glass, a melted hull, pieces of the jump engine strewn across the black vastness of space. Nothing that would indicate Thanos himself was here.

He glanced back at the crew, only to see Drax's face screwed up as tight as it could go. "Is somethin' wrong, Drax?"

"You said to put our mean faces on, Quill. Since it is physically impossible to remove or replace my facial structure without excruciating pain or surgical tools, I assumed you meant we should don the facial expression of anger. This is my mean face".

Rocket snickered behind them, "It looks like you're constipated, Drax". He then helpfully mimicked Drax's facial expression.

"I am Groot". Great, the teenage tree was impressed by Rocket's faces. The raccoon would never stop now.

Drax's expression smoothed out into a confused frown. "I can assure you, rodent, my bowel movements are regular. In fact, the last time…"

"Okay, I don't need any more information about your…bathroom needs. Gamora? Find anything yet?" Please have found something to end this horrible conversation.

The green-skinned warrior shook her head and continued to scan the space in front of them. Peter deftly maneuvered around a jumbled heap of melted metal and dove under the wreckage for a moment. Remembering the terms of the job (Rhomann was such a mother hen), he pulled out the ship's communicator.

"Dey? You readin' me?"

The only answer was static. Peter shoved down a hint of concern and replaced it with annoyance. Of course the man would get dinner or something right when Peter and his crew made contact. He tried again, then gave up. They had attempted to follow through with Dey's demands. His ship's log could prove it. It wasn't his fault Via Lactea had crap reception. With that assertion, he slipped back into the wreckage. Not that he thought they would find any survivors in this mess.

"Shouldn't there be, you know, bodies?" Kraglin was leaning over Peter's head, craning that long, stick-thin neck of his around the windshield.

"An attack by Thanos could have caused an explosion powerful enough to disintegrate the bodies" Gamora reasoned, but her face told another story. She didn't think the crew was dead.

Kraglin seemed to agree: "Nah, girly, look around. An explosion hot enough to burn a body without a trace would have taken care of the glass too".

Gamora nodded slowly. "If Thanos was here, he would have killed them all. He doesn't take prisoners".

That wasn't always the case. Peter glanced sideways at Gamora, who gave him her best impression of Josey Wales. Right, no mentioning the sole survivor of a genocide thing. He really should have figured that one out by himself.

"Alright, so we're lookin' at an empty ship or some kick-ass civilians who were able to escape. Both options are about as likely as Nova Prime doin' the Macarana".

"I see neither of those, Quill. Are you sure your eyesight is not impaired?" Oh Drax. He was handy in a fight but most of the time Peter wanted to shove him out an airlock. In a couple minutes, the big guy would figure it out. They had made that much progress at least.

"The ship looks strange. We were told this was a civilian vessel, correct?" Peter nodded in confirmation of Gamora's statement. "This looks like a pleasure craft, not an space frigate".

"Is there a difference?" Mantis asked. Rocket rolled his eyes while Groot explained the exact purpose of a pleasure craft in much more detail than necessary. Her face blushed a bit when Groot had finished. "Oh". Peter needed to talk to Rocket about putting a kid filter on Groot's datapad. Or maybe Peter needed to restrict Groot's conversations with Rocket. Honestly, that was most likely the problem here.

"Let's try to find the ship's black box, then call it a day". Peter maneuvered the Milano through the wreckage, headlights searching through piles of melted metal.

"There're some frickin' crazy energy signatures through here". Rocket had hooked up some sort of doodad to the Milano's cockpit. He needed to have another delightful conversation with the raccoon about touching other people's stuff. Particularly when it was _his_ stuff and the stuff in question was the ship keeping them all alive and in business. The pyromaniac could experiment all he wanted when they got back to the Quadrant.

"I'm tellin' you, Gammy, this signature is similar to the Orb".

Well wasn't that craptastic. Asgard had an infinity stone. The civilian vessel was most likely a last ditch effort to get the stone off-planet. Sometimes, Peter hated being right.

"Oh, friend Quill, you were considering potential causes for the lack of dead and decaying bodies around the wreckage. That was a metaphor. I believe I am beginning to master the human art of metaphorical speech". There you go, Drax.

"Yeah that's great and all, but we have the slight problem of _a krutarkin' infinity stone_ in the hands of _a genocidal maniac_!" Rocket paced back and forth, his stubby fingers jabbing at the doodad. "My advice? Flee to the far side of the galaxy. I know a guy who runs a…"

Peter jumped as something…no, someone…slammed into his windshield.

"Oi! Wipers, wipers! Get it off!" Rocket yelped, paws dropping his device and flailing in front of his face.

"No, Rocket, that's a man!" Gamora leaned forward and looked at the man's face on their windshield.

"Drax, get a space suit. Rocket, take the controls. _Do not_ use the windshield wipers!" Peter unbuckled himself from the pilot's chair, grabbed a space suit, and clipped on his jetboots. The airlock hissed as it released Drax and himself into the ship's graveyard. It was almost too easy to recover the man from the front of the Milano and pull him inside. His HUD didn't associate the man with any known bounties, arrests, or political positions. He didn't even have a speeder license.

"Put him on the table" Gamora threw their dirty bowls and a stash of copper wires to the side, then gestured to Drax and Peter. Slowly, they lowered the deceptively heavy man on his back. Gamora instantly was checking his airways while Groot grabbed their exposure kit. The man wasn't a popsicle, though. Asgardians must be able to survive for at least a while in open space.

Gamora felt for the man's pulse while Mantis bowed over his forehead, searching for his consciousness. A startled "Oh!" was the only warning they had before the man jumped off the table and shoved them aside like space rats. Rude.

The man…it was awkward just calling him "the man". He was going to call him Arnold. Arnold stood by the window, arm braced on the hull. His chest was heaving, as if his lungs weren't functioning. Which they probably weren't after, you know, being frozen in space.

Arnold finally turned around and stared at them as if they were ghosts. "Who are you?"

Mantis shyly waved her hand, while Rocket succinctly put, "We're the Guardians of the Galaxy, asshole".

"I'm Starlord" Peter stepped forward, arm outstretched for a hand shake. Arnold jumped back as if Peter had offered him a severed head. "Woah there, Arnold, no need to get jumpy. We're the good guys. Nova Corps sent us to rescue any civilians who survived this…incident…and clear the area of any remaining attackers".

"Arnold?" Gamora inquired, one hand lingering by her dagger.

"Well, I had to call him something. 'Unconscious dude' or 'frozen Asgardian' didn't really cut it for me".

"But Arnold?" Kraglin snickered. Which was rich from someone named _Kraglin_.

"The homely Ravager is correct. That name is foolish and not appropriate for a warrior such as this". Drax crossed his arms.

Wow. Okay, "Well what would you name him, Drax?"

"Perhaps Algis. Or Remo?"

"Remo. You've got to be kidding me. That's even worse than the humie's!"

"Thank you, Rocket. Wait, what? Arnold is perfectly acceptable…"

"I am Groot".

"Bardick? That's stupid, Groot. No one wants to be named Bardick!"

"I am _Groot_ ".

"I don't care what it means, have you ever _met_ a Bardick? It literally has dick in the name!"

"My name is Thor, Son of Odin, King of Asgard. Though I appreciate your assistance, you must cease your feuding. It is imperative I make haste for Earth".

Silence permeated the cockpit as the crew of the Milano realized they had picked up _the_ Asgardian. And potentially the only Asgardian left. Also, "That's a pretty good name".

Gamora merely rolled her eyes. "What happened here?"

Peter had more interesting questions on his mind, like: "Did you say Earth? Like, Terra Earth?"

"I know nothing of this 'Terra' you speak of, but yes, I am referring to Midgard. Earth. I sent the rest of my people there. I must seek the aid of the Avengers".

The Guardians looked at Peter, obviously expecting some sort of explanation of the "Avengers". Unfortunately for them, Peter had no idea. Must have been something that happened after he left. He'd been gone for thirty years, they couldn't expect him to know everything!

"Man, I don't know about any Avengers, but Terra is in restricted space. Hell, all of Via Lactea is off limits because Asgard didn't want Nova stickin' it's long spindly nose into their business. It'll take weeks to get the ban lifted, not to mention that Terra is known for bein' out of touch with the rest of the universe. Forget weeks, liftin' the ban will take _years_ ". Peter rubbed his forehead, foreseeing long and boring arguments with Dey over this.

"I am Thor, King of Asgard and protector of the Nine Realms. I cannot be stopped by a petty _restriction_ ". Oh lord, did his voice get even deeper? Any further and Peter would start to worry about the integrity of his ship. Things tended to shake when this man got upset.

"Yeah, humie, are we the best damn thieves in the Galaxy or not? We've never let some puny _restrictions_ enforced by 'Stick up Her Butt' Prime stop us before". Rocket's eyes darkened with glee, as if already envisioning the chaos he could cause on Earth. Probably would arm all the raccoons and take over Indiana or something.

"It is not just a restriction, Rocket. The Nova Corps have put up a highly sophisticated shield around Earth and other planets like it who have not developed space travel. It is impossible to get around". Gamora turned to Thor, "I think you should tell us what happened here. Then we can worry about our next course of action".

Thor nodded sagely. "Very well. My brother, Loki of Asgard, started Ragnarok in order to kill my sister, Hela of the Norns. By placing the very ugly crown of Surtur the fire demon in the eternal flame, he unleashed Surtur's fury on Asgard. My sister was trapped there with him, doomed to fight forever against the fiery demon or die trying. The remainder of my people gathered on a disgusting and fragile ship plucked from the grasp of the Grandmaster. We barely were 10 jumps into our journey to Midgard when Thanos arrived, searching for the infinity stone we held on Asgard".

Peter didn't understand half of that but "Did he get it?"

"No, my brother Loki used the tesseract to spirit my people away to Earth".

It was the space stone, evidently. Peter was suddenly very glad the Mad Titan couldn't just pop in wherever he pleased. "What's his next move?"

Thor scratched the little hair he had left. It looked like his hair had been burnt off on the sides. Gamora stepped into the conversation before Peter could make the Asgardian aware of his dire haircut need, "If Thanos has decided the time is at hand to reveal his plans, he will stop at nothing to gain the rest of the infinity stones now". She hesitated, then added, "He has been holding the gauntlet for a long while. All he must do is gather the stones".

Peter held his hand in front of him, ticking off fingers as he talked. "The power stone is on Xandar with the Nova Corps. Your brother, who apparently destroyed all of Asgard, has the space stone on Earth. Can we trust him to keep it from Thanos?"

"No" the big guy said much too cheerfully. "He was working for Thanos during the Chitauri Invasion of New York. But we have no choice".

Peter rubbed a hand down his face, "That's great. Okay, we leave the space stone in the hands of a crazy man who will most likely kill us and give the stone to Thanos?"

"Yes. Rest assured, he will not seek Thanos out. He does not wish to perish". Thor appeared to think a bit before adding, "Although he has faked his own death twice now".

"I am Groot".

"No Groot, faking your own death is _not_ cool". Rocket stated, winking the wrong eye while he made the statement. Stupid raccoon, four years later and he still couldn't get that right.

"Yondu faked his death six times. I've faked it three times" Kraglin drawled. Gamora held up two fingers.

"Do I need to fake my death? Is that a necessary behavior?" Mantis stared at them with her wide, puppy dog eyes.

"No Mantis. Faking your death is deceitful and not befitting a great warrior. A truly powerful fighter does not degrade himself as such. However, as you are small and weak, I would not begrudge you that strategy". Drax nodded sagely. Peter was stuck in the middle of dead space with idiots. If the only thing between Thanos and domination was them, the galaxy was screwed.

"Alright, so Thanos will head toward Xandar next for the power stone. He'll have a hard time taking that one. Where are the rest of the stones? We could find 'em before he does. If there's one thing we're good at, it's stealin' powerful crap".

"I am glad. Your crew seems disorganized and petty" Thor added, gesturing to where Rocket was poking Groot and yelling, "Move over ya big lug! You're getting slivers in my fur!"

"Our superpowers are arguing. And being a-holes. But we're real good at stealin' stuff too". Peter acknowledged with no hesitation. The personality traits were just a part of their charm.

"The stones must be recovered, my people must be found, and we must find a path through the Corps of Nova's barricade. I would advise splitting up".

Gamora nodded in agreement. "Thanos acquired a way through the shield during the Chitauri invasion of Earth. I believe he consulted the Collector, who consulted with the Nidavellir".

Thor started. "Nidavellir? I am friends with King Sindri. They forged my hammer, Mjolnir, from the heart of a dying star. I do not believe they would refuse my request for aid".

Gamora nodded, pleased with the solution. It looked like Peter would be going home after all. And without having to argue with Nova Prime.

"Wait, you're going to Nidavellir? I'm going with you. I've always wanted to meet cavemen". The raccoon started doing that annoying laugh-wheeze thing. What the hell, Rocket?

"Nay, small creature, though you are surely a fine warrior, Nidavellir is no place for mortals…" Thor looked at Rocket thoughtfully. Crap. Peter knew where this was going. "You look familiar. I believe you are similar to the raccoons who inhabited Avengers Tower's trashbins on Midgard. Are you related?"

Silence. Rocket's eye twitched, finger grazing the trigger of his gun. Peter knew as the leader of the group and one of the only sane ones here (which was terrifying, because Peter was crazy, thank you very much), he should smooth over ruffled feathers, keep their focus on finding the infinity stones before Gamora's homicidal dad killed the universe...but he couldn't help it. He laughed.

Gamora and Rocket glared at him, while everyone else looked confused. Peter doubled over, struggling to breathe through his insane fit of laughter. Gamora placed a hand on his chin, forcing him to look up at her. Oh no, she had her death face on.

"Please enlighten us, Peter. I am sure you have an excellent reason for laughing". She was trying to regain control of their team. But they were essentially a bunch of crazy cats thrown together in a bag. There was no controlling them. Believe him, Peter had tried, and it resulted in thirty-thousand units worth of ship repairs, his eyebrows burnt off, and half a planet falling into lava.

"Because it's funny. It is, don't you gimme that look. The galaxy is in trouble, Thor's evil siblings have destroyed Asgard, arguably the most powerful empire _ever_. Thanos has decided now is a good time to destroy the galaxy and turns out we're the only ones in between 'im and everyone else. And we're arguin' 'bout faking yer own death and the King of Asgard just called Rocket..." he had to wheeze for breath again, "…a _trashpanda!_ "

Everyone just kinda stared at him. What a bunch of fuddy-duddies. Next he knew, a pair of very large hand shoved him into a chair. "Did I break him?" Thor asked, nose much too close to Peter's face.

"No, that's just Peter. Now, how are you planning to get to Earth?" Gamora took charge of the situation. Good.

"I…do not know. My hammer was shattered by Hela and the Bifrost is destroyed".

"Alright, Rocket and Groot, go with Thor in one of the Milano's pods. Help him get the key through Nova's shields and _stay on task, Rocket_ , then head to Earth. We'll meet you there after checking in with Xandar. Where are the other stones, Thor?"

The Asgardian grimaced, "The soul stone is lost to me, I know not where it lies. The mind stone also on Earth, under the protection of the Avenger Vision. The reality stone appeared as the Aether. You can find it with the Collector". Great. Go back to Knowhere. Peter hated this plan.

"And the last of these infernal stones?" Drax asked. Thor shrugged his massive shoulders. "I know someone engaged Dormammu in fierce battle with the time stone a few Midgardian years ago. I know not where this person resides. A few believe the wielder is a celestial. Some insist he is a sorcerer of Earth".

Peter sat up at that. "How come Terra has been called backwater and insignificant for centuries and all of a sudden three of the six infinity stones are hangin' out there?"

Thor just shrugged, "Midgard is special". Which was valid. Just, couldn't it be special without attracting the attention of the Mad Titan?

"We must make haste. Come, warrior raccoon and noble tree. Let us depart at once".

Peter nodded at the rest of the Guardians, "We'll go save Xandar again".

"I do not believe that is possible, Starlord" Mantis stated from the cockpit, tears dripping from her large eyes.

"What do you mean?" Drax asked, shoving everyone out of his way. Peter moved in behind Gamora in time to hear a very grumpy ex-assassin yell from the ship's datascreen.

"Insolent bug girl! If you don't get me Gamora or the intolerable singing man _right_ now, I'll…" Nebula trailed off when she saw Gamora and Peter. "Sister, you are too late. Thanos has made his way to Xandar".

No. Not possible. Peter rushed over to his personal datapad, ignoring the rest of the sisters' conversation. He flicked through his contacts, selecting the direct link to Nova Prime he wasn't supposed to have. "Nova Prime? It's Starlord. No time to harass me about stealin' yer information. We're hearin' chatter about Thanos comin' to Xandar. Please respond. Do you require assistance?" Nothing. Peter switched channels, "Dey? It's Peter. You ain't respondin' to our messages. You insisted on the extra communication. Dontcha want to hear about the ship crash? Get yer unit's worth?" Just static.

"…Nova Corps is completely destroyed. Proxima Midnight was there with him…you know how thorough she is…stone gone…planet is still there but the city is burning…" Peter could only hear snippets of the conversation behind him, focusing on dialing Dey again instead.

"Peter". Gamora's hand gently pulled the datapad away. "Xandar…well… the Orb is out of our reach now. Nebula will meet us on Knowhere".

Peter sniffed once before up and facing away from her. There was no time for sentimentality. "Alright, this makes our job easier".

"Peter…"

"No. We should've stayed on Xandar when we heard Thanos was on the move, but we didn't. Nothin' we can do 'bout that now. We need to focus". Peter glanced at Thor, who nodded once. He straightened his back in determination. "Right, Thanos thinks he's already won. He hasn't. There are five more stones out there. We know where four of 'em are, so let's grab 'em up and move 'em to Earth. One place to defend, right? Home-court advantage?"

Nods all around. Excellent. "Move fast, fight hard, and give no mercy. 'Cause mercy ain't worth a single unit if it destroys the galaxy".

"I am grateful for the assistance of your companions, Starlord. We will leave at once and meet you in the New City of York when we are done". Thor nodded and strode downstairs to the pod. Peter stopped Rocket before he could leave, "Rocket…guns blazin', yeah?"

His face softened minimally as he patted Peter on the leg, "Yeah, Star-Dork. My guns are always blazing".

Groot looked back tentatively, eyes suspiciously wet. "I…I am _Groot_!" He nearly wailed, arms growing around Peter. Rocket scurried back and tugged him away as Peter freed himself. "We'll be okay, Groot. We can listen to my Zune when you get back, okay?"

The teenage tree nodded, then followed after Rocket. Peter took a moment to adjust his jetboots and check the energy pack on his gun. Only after he had composed himself did he look up at the rest of his crew. "Alright assholes. Let's pay the esteemed Collector another visit".


	6. Literally Everyone on Earth

**Hi guys! Sorry I'm posting a day or two later than expected. However, I'm not too sorry, because this chapter is a monster.**

 **I know I've said that before, but this chapter...wow. It it big, action packed, and over 9000 words long. In case the chapter title didn't give it away, there are four POV's in this one and every main character on Earth makes at least a brief appearance.**

 **Now, this chapter needs some additional warnings. Warning for graphic depictions of violence and some disassociation of a main character. If you think that will bother you, let me know and I'll message you a summary.**

 **Next update will hopefully be within a week. This chapter honestly took a lot out of me, but there is also a new Infinity War Trailer which is super exciting and might give me some fuel.**

 **An extra thanks to all those who have favorited, followed, or commented on this story. You guys make me so happy!**

 **Willdawg 992003: Thank you for your consistent reviews! It is messed up that the Black Order killed the Nova Corps, but given their performance against Ronan in GoG, I figured they would fall to Thanos fairly easily. I'm glad you enjoy the banter and thank you so much for your sympathy. I am literally wearing holes in my keyboard cover!**

 **Guest: I am glad you enjoyed Darcy's little part. Hulk will show up in New York and make things interesting, but are you sure the tesseract went with him? ;)**

 **Guest: Thank you for your review. I am glad you are enjoying the story!**

 **Daughter of Ironman06: Thank you so much! I am glad you are enjoying it!**

 **Guest: This chapter was one of my favorites to write. Thor and the Guardians are just such a good team-up! Thank you so much for your praise...I appreciate the feedback on pacing and personalities.**

 **Heart of Chaos: I am glad that you are enjoying the chapters and thank you for your many reviews! I agree with you, I did not 100% enjoy the way Loki was portrayed in Thor Ragnarok, though I was glad he was not a straight-up villain in that movie. I always felt he was more complicated than that. You will be glad to know he is certainly not a coward in this story!**

 **Guest: Thank you so much! I am sorry this is coming a day or two late, but I have an extra long chapter for you! In regards to the "Quill celestial powers", I'm not going to say much. I don't forsee that being addressed in the actual Infinity War movie. That doesn't mean I couldn't sneak it in here somewhere though...you'll have to wait and see :)**

 **With that, enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Song: Battle Cry by Imagine Dragons**_

The sun rose slowly over the peak of the Himalayas, bathing the small village in sunlight. Valkyrie was sprawled in front of the minuscule window, apparently working on her tan while listening to Heimdall.

"We have over 200 people who need shelter. We cannot stay here any longer. By the grace of the Odinforce we endured the night, but the cold will not aid in our survival".

The thrice-cursed woman merely flicked her fingers, "We are Asgardian, Heimdall. We can survive much worse than a bit of snow".

Heimdall's face finally betrayed the flicker of annoyance Loki valiantly cultivated as a child. "Just because we _can_ survive does not mean it is wise to remain. We must establish shelter. Raise crops, build a home. Put down roots to what remains of Asgard".

"And you want to do so on Earth? There are many great planets in the universe that do not flaunt their weaknesses as strengths, Heimdall. No, we should leave a message for Sparkles, then use the space stone to move elsewhere. Somewhere…quieter".

Oh, the witch. He wouldn't let her win this one. "I disagree. Earth is not only suitable, it is the obvious choice. Our people have history with the inhabitants. Earth's people accept my idiotic brother and will not fuss as long as I refrain from imparting my superior leadership on them again". He paused, remembering his last conversation with his brother. "Or perhaps we should avoid North America all together".

Valkyrie rolled her eyes, but gestured for him to continue. Loki obliged (himself, not her. Never her). "We should plant ourselves where the All Father perished. His final moments shall spell the new beginning of Asgard".

"Might I remind you, _Odinson_ , that you are the one who banished him to this planet in the first place? Does that not leave a bad taste in your mouth for this wretched place, knowing his death was at your hands?" Valkyrie was sitting up now at least.

"I am not _Odin's son_ , you ignorant wretch. And I was not finished".

"Oh this should be good". The evil incarnate had the audacity to cross her arms and glare at him.

"Our ancestors lived in the land of Norway for years. Our Beserker army remained on Earth during Odin's conquest of the nine realms. Though the old man may have been a hypocritical fool, he knew how to wage war in his youth. The armies of darkness never took Earth. The planet and that land are defensible". Loki glanced at his old teacher, swallowing bile as he blandly stated, "I agree with Heimdall. We need to move. Thanos will not take long to find us, and we must be ready for him when he does".

"So your solution is to blindly travel to this Norway and hope he cannot find us? Clearly this is why the nine realms suffered under your rule".

"Now look here, you arrogant quim…"

"Cease your feuding!" Heimdall roared, effectively shocking them into silence. "I see him approaching. Gather our people in the temple".

As the mortals say, screw that. "Then we must move. Let us leave, _now_ ".

"No time, Loki. Gather the people and set a defense". Heimdall shoved Valkyrie and Loki towards the door, then handed over his sword. Valkyrie took it hesitantly. "Where are you going?"

Heimdall's eyes shone momentarily. "I must leave now".

Loki's heart plummeted. Of all his family…no, of all the Asgardians who'd raised him, he never expected Heimdall to betray him. Sure, his old teacher would never entrust him with a position of power. He was too loyal to Thor and Odin. But Loki would never expect him to just…run. Leave. Abandon them in their final hour of need.

Valkyrie, however, apparently was done processing that bit of information. "Fine then" she bit out, spraying the Asgardian watchman with spittle, "Run away. _Coward_ , just like your precious tyrant king! Odin leaves the Valkyries to die fighting his battles and you will leave all of your people to fight to our deaths. The _watchman of Asgard_ , running away at Asgard's end". She tightened her grip on the sword and strode off, screaming at the Asgardians to move their asses to the temple. Loki turned to Heimdall. Something else had to be at play here.

"Why?"

Heimdall looked mournfully at Loki before reaching behind his back, the tesseract appearing in all its glory. With a wave of his hands, Heimdall was gone. The cube dropped to the ground, glowing with false cheerfulness. Or maybe it just sensed the arrival of the gauntlet. Loki scooped it up as one would a child in danger, then sprinted to the temple. What remained of Asgard poured in, leaving all their belongings strewn across the ground. Snow fell on the mountain, covering Asgard's lost hopes and dreams in a clean sheet of snow.

He could hear the whirl of a space ship, could feel the tesseract shiver in anticipation. There was no time, none at all. Throughout his childhood, he had learned to not care. Apathy, the protector of the trodden. But even his old defense abandoned him now, leaving him with a single thought: My people must live, but they will not survive the sunrise.

The tesseract. The cube, the _infinity stone_ , was his only hope. Was Asgard's only hope. But the ship was now visible. Even if they could leave using the cube, and that was _if_ the thing decided to let them leave, Thanos would quickly follow. This time Valkyrie, curse her to Hel and back, was correct. They had to make a stand here or flee off-world. And the time for fleeing was over.

Loki was inches from the temple, the last fortress of Asgard, when Thanos's landing craft screamed overhead. The Titan himself was visible in the opening of the ship. His abominable purple face was twisted into a maniacal grin as he raised a gold-plated fist with a single purple jewel and ripped the temple to the ground. There was no explosion, no blast of light, nothing. The whole structure merely buckled, as if smashed by the fist of God. Only once the wooden roof hit the burning braziers did a fire start. By then, everyone was already dead.

Even though he knew Asgard was gone, Loki rushed into the ruins, picking his way around small fires. His eye caught the flash of a golden hilt. Heimdall's sword. He determinedly shoved his way across the ruins, internally sighing in relief when he saw Valkyrie miraculously still alive. Not that she would be for long. A wooden beam pinned her leg and her armor was the only thing protecting her from the raging fire around her. But the declaration of the warrioress's demise was far more obvious: a wrought iron fire poke impaled through her cranium.

"Lie still, you fool" Loki pushed aside a shudder and used his Frost Giant heritage for the first time since his brother's exile. The fire roared, then succumbed to the overwhelming frost.

"Don't be an ass, Loki. Has anyone ever told you your bedside manner is crap?" the woman chuckled a bit, but ceased her movement. "Listen, Loki…"

"No, I will listen to no sentimental meanderings". He would not. Loki had grown to enjoy Valkyrie's complete lack of emotional conversation. He had no desire to have a heart-to-heart with anyone, ever. Least of all this harlot.

"Shut up, you imbecile. I wasn't finished". The asinine warrior fumbled around until she secured a small vial of mead, most likely smuggled from the Grandmaster's ship. She downed it in one go, swallowing thickly before continuing, "Don't you let this be Asgard's final act; dying in a single stroke. Crushed by a falling building". She laughed without humor, wiping what Loki optimistically decided was melted snow from her eyes. "Thanos will win, that is certain. But give him hell. Make him pay for every inch with blood. You are truly a pain in the ass. Use that".

Valkyrie's eyes started flickering shut, but the woman looked far too content for her situation. "The Valkyrie are dead. Asgard is gone. And the only one left is the Frost Giant masqueraded as a prince. It's ironic, isn't it?" Her words weren't meant to be hurtful, however crass they were. "Though Thor is a good king, Odin and his court were corrupt and hypocritical. Asgard is dead; good. Don't try to be the last Asgardian. Be a Revenger, Loki".

He did not stay to hear her final breath. That would not be fitting to her memory. No, his final vision of the last Valkyrie would be her serenity and wisdom, pulled from apparently nowhere to hide her usual asinine personality. Loki leapt to his feet in one fluid motion, cloaking Heimdall's sword behind him with a flash of his mother's gift. Thanos and his cadre of maniacs had entered the temple. It was time.

Long ago, The Other told him he would long for something as sweet as pain if he failed the Mad Titan. Standing among the burning bodies of Asgard with the tesseract in his hand, Loki finally understood.

A fire raged deep in his soul, demolishing the barriers and defenses he had set throughout hundreds of years of neglect. He was not a Frost Giant, was not a king or prince. He was certainly not an Asgardian or a champion of Midgard or even a good person. He was a Revenger. And he would not be denied the blood of his enemies.

Thanos himself stepped forward as Loki strode up, tesseract displayed prominently in hand. "You see what your foolishness has wrought, boy?" The titan's hand waved over the destruction it had caused. "You cannot truly believe that I will greet you now as an ally. You failed once, and rejected me again. Give me the stone, and I can promise death at the end of your suffering".

Loki smiled, eyes tilted upwards almost seductively. The steel in his eyes, however, promised entirely different intentions. "Believe what you will, Mad Titan. I am many things, but not a fool. You will defeat me". The trickster let the version of himself standing in front of Thanos fade as he whispered in his ear, "But let's have a little fun first. Death is overrated".

Loki felt nothing but satisfaction as he drove Heimdall's sword into the Mad Titan's back. It took all his strength, but the tip pierced through the armor and into flesh. He was moving before the Titan's howl could be heard, using his magic to confuse the mind-walker, Ebony Maw. Cull Obsidian was next, a simple leg-binding spell would hold him for a few precious moments. Proxima Midnight was on him before he could stall her, but his twin knives held her spear at bay for the moment. Loki knew deep in his bones he would not survive contact with the weapon, and dodged accordingly. He danced around her, matching her supernatural speed with unending grace, a symphony of flashing knifes and wisps of magic. Corvus Glaive returned from tending to his master, double-bladed staff screaming, the thunder to Proxima's lightning. Loki could feel his stamina wavering and knew the time had come for his final move. Without hesitation, he threw the tesseract toward Thanos, watching in unbridled glee as the entire Black Order jumped toward it.

Ebony Maw managed to catch it, hands cradling the cube and eyes pure blue. Without hesitation, he bowed reverently to Thanos, who took the cube with just as much awe. Until he crushed it as if it was a piece of fruit, leaving the infinity stone behind like a seed. Loki's form stood on the side of the scene before him, a defeated mask in place to hide the murder in his eyes. The second Thanos took to fit the stone in his gauntlet was the moment the trickster struck. With a silent prayer to anyone who was watching and the briefest thought of his mother and brother, Loki gathered every inch of his power around him like a cloak. He let his true form shine, a bit to the side of the false image he had created. Loki couldn't see himself, but he knew it wasn't arrogant to say he was every bit the god mortals thought he was. Not a trickster, not the renegade prince, not even a Frost Giant. He was the god of chaos and the universe gleefully responded to his bidding.

He closed his eyes. Blood. He wanted blood. And with a scream of pain and fury, Loki, son of Frigga, poured every ounce of his life force into the air around the Black Order.

" _You don't trust each other_ " he whispered, so quietly not even their minds realized it was him. " _Each of you_ _desires only one thing: to hand Thanos himself the infinity stones. The others seek to displace you; there is room for only one by his gauntleted right hand"._

 _"You deserve more"._

 _"They seek your ruin"._

Thanos was much trickier. The chaos of the universe wanted him to succeed. It was pleased, knowing he would destroy everything. But Loki whispered in chaos's ear, " _You could have more than a love-besotted fool. Break him, break him and he will destroy everything. Crush him and the entire universe is yours"._

And with an entirely useless display of power to hide his true mischief, the Revenger's soul returned to the halls of his fore-fathers. A woman, dressed in flowing silks and followed by a familiar golden man greeted him, arms wrapping him securely in her embrace. A white warrior, bracketed on one side by blonde woman dressed in the armor of the Valkyries, winked at him from the side.

And across the universe, headed towards the halls of the dwarf kings, another soul cried out in grief and cold fury. Though Thor would continue to fight for the sake of his friends, his own war was already lost.

* * *

Peter Parker was late. Again.

"Excuse me, pardon me, sorry, sorry!" He slid through the halls, dropping his backpack at least twice and almost mowing down his calculus teacher. Out of breath, he careened through the doorway of his homeroom.

"Mr. Parker, nice of you to make an appearance". Gosh, Peter hated Mr. Davis.

"Sorry! The subway was full and I had to wait for the next one…"

"Does it look like I care, Parker? I assume you have your signed form?"

Right. The permission slip. Peter dropped his backpack unceremoniously and attempted to dig through it without exposing the Spiderman suit he had carelessly dropped in this morning. He finally procured the slip with flourish from under his lunch and handed it to his art history teacher, who sighed with disappointment and gestured Peter toward the busses. Success. He rushed on, only tripping once on the bus stairs, and flopped into Ned's seat. Who was staring at him intensely.

"What was it?"

Peter blinked at his best friend cluelessly. "What?"

Ned rolled his eyes and leaned forward conspiratorially, "Come on, man. Was it a robbery? A holdup? Oh!" Ned gasped as he leaned forward even closer, voice dropping to a whisper, "Was it Avengers business?"

Peter looked around nervously, shushing his best friend by stuffing a hand over his mouth. Once he has ascertained his classmates were none the wiser, he whispered, "No, man! I hit the snooze button on my alarm, only I underestimated my strength a bit and ended up crushing the whole thing. Aunt May had to wake me up before she left for work. I had ten minutes to get ready and out the door!"

"Oh". Ned sounded disappointed. The kid thought Peter's whole life was a television show. Which, in his defense, he was a high school superhero with a secret identity, so yes, his entire life was a bad television show. But that didn't mean he was constantly fighting crime. He still had to eat, sleep, and rush through homework.

"What are you two whispering about?" MJ's voice was suddenly right next to his ear, causing Ned to drop his backpack and Peter to nearly jump off the seat. The girl then laughed, returning to her book with an easy, "Just kidding, I don't care".

Peter's heart was still racing as the bus rolled out of Midtown School of Science and Technology's parking lot. He vaguely heard Ned admonishing MJ next to him, "…you made me sweat, MJ, no it isn't funny! Now my legs are sticking to the seat…"

Their entire art history class was going to the MET on a field trip. Which really meant they got to miss a day of class and goof off in a building so big even nosy Mr. Davis couldn't keep an eye on all of them. Peter was secretly hoping to sneak off and get some crime fighting in during the day. Or maybe just find a quiet corner to catch up on his homework. Lord knew he needed some time to catch up.

But apparently fate had different plans for Peter Parker. As their bus merged onto the highway, Peter felt the hair on his arms rise. His spider-sense. He quickly clamped a hand over his arm and peered out the window of the bus, unable to hide his gasp. The sentiment was quickly echoed by the rest of the students as they stared at the giant circle hovering over Manhattan.

"It looks like…"

"Could it be another alien invasion?"

"Might be Stark tech, it's near the old Avengers tower…"

"…rotating cylinders and gravitational stabilizers…"

Peter ignored his classmate's whispers and Ned's stares in favor of digging out his Stark Phone. He hit a contact number and entered a passcode, then whispered, "Karen, are you seeing this?"

"Yes Peter, I am. I am attempting to contact Mr. Stark, but he appears to be occupied at the moment".

"Occupied?" Peter's voice squeaked as he mentally cataloged the hovering tech. He was almost certain it wasn't Tony's or SHIELD's or the government's. It didn't look…human. The way the thing was designed, how it hovered, the way the sphere was upright instead of on its side. It was all very alien. Something was terribly wrong, a sentiment that was echoed by a small explosion and a pillar of smoke from Chelsea.

"Peter, as I am familiar with Mr. Stark's past behavior and mental processes, he would most likely advise you to remain with your class…" Peter didn't even let Karen finish, just hissed, "Prep the suit, Karen". The AI sighed, but Peter could hear his HUD whirring to life. Ned nodded and gave him a high five, "Go get'em".

Peter turned to MJ, who was quickly sketching the alien device. "MJ?"

She turned to him, both disinterested and terrified at the same time. He didn't keep her waiting, merely stated, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you".

She nodded sagely, "I'm not blind, you know? And Ned is terrible at secrets".

What? Just…what? When it was clear Peter wasn't going to say anything, she jabbed him in the ribs. "Alright, Spiderboy, put on your onesie and go kick some alien ass. Save a few for me".

Peter laughed incredulously. What a day. In one smooth motion, he ripped out their window, ignoring the startled cries of his classmates. A quick snap and the mask was on as he perched on the side of the bus. He could see the panicking bus driver in his side mirror, but he couldn't worry about that now. New York needed its friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

* * *

Tony's repulsors flared as he executed a sharp turnaround and landed on a street filled with disgustingly domicile brownstones. Good location, multiple subway stops, plenty of restaurants, and oh look at that, a giant hole through one of the ceilings. His armor fluidly reformed into his streamlined black jacket. Didn't need to attract any more attention than he already had. Plus, there was something about an amazing metal suit that screamed, "I'm here to fight you". Imagine that.

"The Bleeding Edge Armor Mark II seems to be fully functional, though more tests would have been prudent". Friday sounded grudgingly accepting. Good. If the tesseract was back on Earth, Tony knew he would need the advantage of his nanotechnology.

After glancing down the street, he knocked on the front door of a brownstone marked "177A Bleeker Street" in elegant script. Tony waited a minute, tapping his foot and rolling his eyes. If this was what it was like to be normal, he wanted no part of it. After jabbing the doorbell multiple times in a row, an Asian man in his bathrobe answered.

"Hello". The man's face literally didn't move when he spoke. That was impressive.

Tony wiggled his fingers in response. "Hey. I'm Tony Stark, you know, billionaire, Iron Man, Avenger, voted Sexiest Man Alive three times. There are some weird energy signatures coming from your house that I really need to check out…"

The man stared at Tony blankly, then shut the door in his face. Well, that was rude. Screw this, Tony Stark didn't have to do things like normal people. He was special.

Tony was a little disappointed when it only took 30 seconds to break into the house. Of course that disappointment vanished when he had to dodge flying knives and some sort of levitating cape of death. Which would not release his face. Once he finally freed himself from hellish flying carpets with some well-timed electrical shocks, he wandered through the brownstone. The hallways seemed to go on forever, lined with hundreds of what were surely priceless artifacts, but in reality looked like Dumbledore had turned to interior decorating. Also, there was no way this was one house. Maybe they bought the whole row? Or part of the house's security system was some sort of hallucinogen because this place went on forever.

Tony was at the point of sitting down and hoping someone found him in this funhouse when he heard a familiar voice. Which was not possible. It had finally happened, he'd gone crazy. Pepper would have to intern him, his company's R&D department would make horrible designs without Tony to fix them, some kid would set the latest fashion trends oh lord please don't let it be Justin Bieber…

The hallway finally spit him into an atrium piled with rubble, where a gigantic hole in the ceiling bathed the room in sunlight. Well, he found it. Yay. And there, just chilling in the middle like a geezer at the beach, was Bruce Banner himself. The Asian man who looked remarkably like Pepper's thanksgiving butterball turkey and a man with astonishingly amazing facial hair were standing over him with glowing shields in their hands. Which had to be some sort of holographic technology. Tony wanted three.

"Brucie! You're looking a little green for being MIA for three years! I thought you would be all tan and relaxed by now!" Tony strode up, pushing the man with the facial hair out of his way.

"Who the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth are you?" the facial hair man asked, shield blocking Tony's progress towards the rubble. Tony rolled his eyes. Imbeciles.

"As I told your man at the door, I'm Tony Stark. I'm here to investigate and contain" he waved his hands at the rubble, Bruce, and life in general, "this".

Facial hair looked at Butterball, who shrugged. "He said he was an Avenger and some sort of sexy man. I thought he was delusional. They don't give awards for sexiest man. If so, an initiate from the Sanctum would have won every year".

Tony's mouth dropped open. "I'm sorry, who are you? Are you Asgardian or a 90 year old Capsicle or something? Because the whole world a) knows who I am and b) knows that People Magazine puts out a sexiest man alive winner every year and I've won three times and been a runnerup almost every other year…"

Facial hair summed it up nicely, "He's rich, famous, and flies around in a tin can shooting bad guys".

Butterball nodded sagely. "Is he related to Beyoncé?"

"I'm sorry, do you even know who Beyoncé is? You, good sir, are a travesty. A failing of the modern age. A…"

"That is quite enough, I think. My name is Dr. Steven Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, and this is Wong. You are trespassing on my property".

"Wait a second. Your name is actually Dr. Strange?" Because that was both awesome and horrifying. And Tony could deal with funny names, not so much the whole sorcerer aspect of that comment.

"Yes". The man straightened the red cloak of evil, then extended a hand to Bruce, who was still sunbathing in the gigantic hole. "My apologies, Dr. Banner. I had no idea it was you who crashed through my sanctum".

Bruce eyed Dr. Strange warily, then took the offered hand. He groaned as he was lifted out of the crater, then cracked his back and looked around blearily. "Where am I?"

Ouch, that wasn't good. Tony wondered how long the Hulk had been calling the shots. Hopefully not the whole time. He wasn't going to be the one to explain how pissed off Natasha was. "Hey buddy. New York City, landed in this gentleman's creepy house".

Bruce started, as if he hadn't noticed Tony standing there before. What was with these people? Tony Stark was usually the first thing people noticed. "Tony?"

"Yup, in the flesh. Heard something went boom in Chelsea and came to check it out. By the way, did you happen to see the tesseract lying around here? Anywhere? No?"

"The tesseract?" The butterball, Wong apparently, was blissfully unaware of the world around him. Tony wasn't sure whether to congratulate him for missing the Battle of New York or scream in frustration.

"Yeah, monk of ignorance, the tesseract. Big blue cube of death that was in the Battle of New York six years ago? And no, it's not related to Beyoncé. God it's like talking to Cap again…"

"Do not be imbecilic, Tony Stark. Of course I did not believe a cube of death to be related to Beyoncé. That would be ridiculous. She sings beautiful songs of love and…"

"Right, and the cape isn't ridiculous? My apologies, you guys look completely normal. Showing off the latest styles in monk wear…"

"Tony?"

"…And don't think I haven't noticed that this house is bigger on the inside than the outside, we need to have a discussion about that…"

"Tony!" Bruce's voice dove deeper as his eyes flashed green. The two strange men zipped their lips like boring human beings. Tony had evolved beyond that.

"Yes dear?"

"The tesseract is back on Earth. I…the Hulk…the other guy… _we_ tried to grab it and it transported us here. The rest are in the mountains with the cube, I think it was Nepal maybe?"

Tony stared at Bruce. He looked different, even once the grime had been brushed off. His hair was greyer and longer. There were worry lines around his eyes. But most concerning of all, he referred to the Hulk and himself as _we_.

"Bruce? How long were you…did _he_ have control?"

The man shrugged. "It's not quite like that anymore. We're more…symbiotic. I needed him, so he took over. Thor needed me, so I took over. It works. Better than before, actually, though for a while there I wasn't sure if he was going to let me back out".

"That's great buddy! I want to run some tests…wait…Thor?"

Bruce turned around, ceasing his investigation of a haphazardly filled display case. "Oh yeah, I found him. Well, I think he found me. I ended up on Sakaar. The Hulk was fighting in gladiatorial contests for what I think was a Celestial or something. Oh man, Tony, you should have seen the Devil's Anus. The way the Einstein Rosenberg Bridge worked in tandem with the collapsing neutron star unexplainably effective and _beautiful_. I have a dozen ideas to work on from that phenomenon alone…"

Devil's Anus? Sakaar? Tony held up a hand to stall the excited scientist. "Okay big guy, I have no idea what you are talking about and am _really_ hoping this isn't one big euphemism, but you can catch me up later. Right now, we need to get to the tesseract".

"I think we have bigger problems". Dr. Strange peered in from the doorway…when had he moved? And suddenly, all four of them were standing in front of the house…sanctum…whatever. The sorcerer flicked his hands in front of him, leaving golden-red traces of his movements behind. With a snap of his hands, the tendrils solidified into a larger version of the shields he had wielded before. Damn. Tony hated magic.

When he saw the two figures lumbering towards them, fires raging in the background, he revised his previous statement. Magic sucked. But he hated aliens more.

One of the aliens was massive, almost the size of the Hulk, and looked like he was half fish and half rock. His companion couldn't have been more different: thin and waif-like, he was almost elegant. Both were dressed in intricate battle armor.

"Thanos's forces, the Black Order" Wong stated, shields at the ready once more.

"The Black what now?" Tony asked, because what the actual hell was going on? The world wasn't falling apart when he woke up this morning. How had he missed this? Friday had hundreds of surveillance programs and protocols to prevent him from being blindsided like this. Now New York was burning and aliens were coming for…

Tony snuck a look at Dr. Strange, a suspicion solidifying into a conclusion. Pulling the man briefly aside, he stated, "You have an infinity stone".

The man didn't even bother to deny it, just nodded and turned his attention back towards this Black Order or whatever. The smaller one stepped forward, arms outstretched and head held high. His voice was deep and cold, not thin as Tony had expected. "Steven Strange, Sorcerer of Terra. Heed my words. Relinquish your claim on the Stone of Time and your death will be quick and painless. Refuse and you will long for a death that will never come".

"He's friendly" Bruce muttered behind him.

"Now might be a good time to Hulk up, bud". Tony would prefer to have a bit more muscle on his side for this one. Bruce nodded and took a deep breath, then screamed in pain. The smaller alien had an arm outstretched, an expression of glee conflicting with false disappointment as he tutted. "Now, now. No need to let the beast out. I think I'll let you" he paused, then boomed, " ** _Sleep_** ".

Bruce fell over without another sound as Tony stared at him in shock. Okay, this was bad.

"Sir, Karen is requesting…"

"I'm busy Friday. Later".

"There is also an urgent message from the Wakandan Embassy in New York…"

"Friday, mute". Tony couldn't deal with the rest of the world falling apart right now. He had his own problems to deal with. The large alien was letting out what was either a battle roar or a failed attempt at opera. He then blundered forward, swinging his axe and crying, "Cull Obsidian will take the stone from your corpses!"

Tony's armor flowed seamlessly around him just in time to fly out of the way of the axe. He returned to rescue the sorcerers, only to find them jumping through the air while attempting to bind the alien with golden threads. Tony left them at it, searching for the other alien…

And suddenly he was back in space, the Avengers once again dead at his feet. Cap grabbed him just like last time, but he didn't whisper the same dying words as before. He instead weakly whispered, "I thought you were my friend too". And Tony sobbed as he held his lost friend in his arms, surrounded by his dying team. But suddenly it was no longer Steve, but Peter.

"Parker". Tony shook the tiny body, eyes filling with tears, "Peter, wake up. Oh no…".

" _Get out of his head!"_

Tony shifted abruptly back into his own body, crumpled on the ground as battle raged around him. Wanda stood above him, wreathed in red like an avenging angel. Her eyes were blazing with red fire, an arm extended toward the smaller alien. She roared again, "Ebony Maw, you are not welcome here".

Ebony Maw merely grinned, "Of course I'm not welcome. An invading force never is".

A grim Dr. Strange helped Tony up from the ground as their rag-tag group gathered themselves in the streets of New York. Then together, they launched themselves into battle.

* * *

Steve Rogers stood in silence, Sam on his right as usual. The weather was unusually warm for spring. He hoped the flowers wouldn't wilt too fast.

"Steve. We need to go. This was a bad idea". Sam's eyes were constantly roaming under the bill of his baseball hat.

"I needed to do this, Sam". Steve set the flowers down gently on the grave, smoothing them over once before standing back up and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Your mother would never forgive you if you got shot visiting her grave". Sam was probably right. Steve's mother would rip him a new one for taking this risk; but in a world turned upside-down, it grounded him. Plus, he'd missed her birthday for 75 years. He owed her this.

"Let's go". Steve walked slowly back towards their car, chuckling to himself. His mother wouldn't recognize him anymore. His face was obscured by a dark beard and his long hair was colored brown. The eyes that met him in the mirror every morning didn't even look like his anymore; glazed and haunted, color obscured by green contacts. Sam had changed very little, opting to remain primarily in Wakanda instead. He had grown more facial hair, but he retained a military cut and his usual sweats and t-shirt.

"Have you heard from Natasha?" The super-spy had been taking on more jobs in the United States, completely disregarding their wanted status. She was following some lead on an old enemy from her days in the Red Room, but refused to say anything more. Just grabbed Clint from wherever his family was hiding and took their quinjet. This time, she had agreed to drop Steve and Sam off in New York on her way.

Sam shook his head, "Radio silence". Great. Just what they needed was a delay. Sam wasn't the only antsy one. They too close to the former Avengers Tower for Steve's comfort.

He kept up with global and national news. One day, hidden in the corner of the New York Times, he spotted the announcement. Tony Stark had sold Avengers Tower and moved everything either upstate or to his California Stark Industries headquarters. Steve had stared at the newspaper. Tony, either knowingly or unknowingly, was cutting off the last of Steve's ties to the Avengers. The only thing that remained was Avenger's HQ upstate.

Lost in his thoughts, Steve didn't notice the additional figure until Sam elbowed him in the ribs and muttered, "Oh great. This is a good sign". Steve's heart dropped as they approached the woman by their car.

"Nakia". Steve and Sam both crossed their arms in the equivalent of a Wakandan salute, the woman returning the gesture.

"Steven Rogers and Samuel Wilson. You are needed".

"What happened?" Steve didn't waste any time. Neither did Nakia, who lead them past the car and through a thin patch of trees. He wasn't even surprised to see a Wakandan jet appear out of nowhere, cloaking device momentarily suspended.

"King T'Challa received a message from Avengers HQ. It seems the United States military, under the direction of Thunderbolt Ross, have placed Vision under arrest. He is currently being detained in the facility". She hesitated before they entered the plane, pointing up at the sky. "Also, that".

Steve craned his head up above them, staring at the strange floating sphere. Sam summed it up nicely, "Well crap".

"What do we know?" Steve had to duck his head upon entering the jet, automatically strapping in. T'Challa was sitting in the interior, dressed in his Black Panther armor. Bucky, who had been awake for about a month now, sat next to him. His new vibranium arm shone in the dimmed lights of the plane, an automatic rifle in disassembled on the table in front of him. Bucky tried to catch his attention, but Steve merely nodded and turned back to the briefing table. Steve couldn't afford any distractions right now, much less a brother who waited three months to even drop a message. No, "Hey Steve, I'm awake and in recovery" or even a "I'm awake". No, he had to walk into the Wakandan palace and see him lounging in robes while Shuri fiddled with his arm. Bucky had apologized, explaining that while his memories were back, he needed time to sort things out. Decide who he was now, regardless of who he was before. Steve assured him he understood. And he truly did. But he wasn't sure he had forgiven him yet. So if Bucky…no… _James_ wanted space, Steve would give it to him.

"It approached through the upper atmosphere, landing above New York City. Two separate shuttles came from it; one landed in the city while the other headed upstate". T'Challa's voice was amplified by the suit as he gestured to the table's illustrations. The vibranium rippled to show the second sublevel of Avengers HQ. "This is where the Vision is being held. Colonel Rhodes is also in the facility, but not currently detained. It appears Mr. Stark is in New York City investigating an energy disturbance. We were on our way to investigate this ourselves when intelligence forwarded the news about Vision".

Steve nodded slowly, forcibly shoving his personal life down. He could deal that later. Right now, whether the android had signed or not, they had to protect and extract Vision before these aliens or the US government could get to him.

"Just out of curiosity, why is a posterchild of the Sokovia Accords under arrest by the US government?" Sam tilted his chair back on two legs and crossed his arms. "I'm all for saving a former teammate and stopping aliens, but are we certain this isn't a trap?"

Nakia snorted as she crossed her arms. "Technically, the US government doesn't have grounds to arrest him; Avengers HQ is officially labeled as UN property. Your government is so petty and dysfunctional".

Steve shrugged. She would find no arguments from him.

"Apparently, Ms. Maximoff made an appearance at Avengers HQ. The Avengers did not turn her in and Vision took exception to military troops attempting to restrain her".

Steve started. He thought Wanda was still in Eastern Europe. "Is she okay? They didn't get her?"

T'Challa grasped his shoulder calmly. "She disappeared before the US strike-force could contain her. You will be pleased to know Wakanda is making an official complaint through the Security Council regarding Secretary Ross's abuse of the Sokovia Accords".

Steve nodded his thanks. He and Natasha trained Wanda as well as two non-powered people could. No one quite understood her powers; not even her. Apparently whatever they did helped, because she had been able to make a hasty escape from men who could detain the Vision.

Of course Steve had a funny feeling Vision remained contained because he wished to stay.

On the speedy jet trip upstate, Steve tried to comm Natasha and Clint again, but they had gone dark. Their communications system, provided generously by Shuri, was extremely sophisticated but bogged down by security protocols and encryption. When Tony Stark was your enemy, there wasn't such a thing as paranoid levels of security. Though given how inexperienced Steve was at hiding in the modern world, he suspected Tony wasn't actively working against them.

Hawkeye and the Widow were still radio silent by the end of their flight, so Steve painstakingly embedded coordinates and brief instructions in an innocuous radio announcement. Hopefully if someone managed to break into their channel, they would assume it was just another radio station.

Nakia signaled when they were above the compound. Steve checked Falcon's flight pack and ignored the almost physical pain in his gut at the sight of his former home. Nakia and T'Challa held vibranium beads in their hands; some sort of Wakandan parachute tech from Shuri. If she put her mind to it, that girl could rule the world. James was in charge of manning the jet in case they needed a speedy extraction. Steve internally shook his head. _When_ they needed a speedy extraction.

Without his shield, jumping from the plane was harder. But a couple years of emergency landings and extractions had honed Falcon and Steve's coordination. A few seconds of free fall was all it took until Sam's hand clasped his tightly, the suit's vibranium gears whirling as it compensated for the extra weight. As soon as they were close enough to the ground, Sam released him and he tucked and rolled onto the gravel top of the compound. Steve instantly hurled his Kizlyar knife through the rooftop sensor panel, Nakia shorting out the wires with a Wakandan doodad. Steve remembered Tony muttering about vulnerabilities and needing a failsafe, but it seemed he hadn't fixed it in their time apart. From that point, it was easy to slip through the darkened floors.

"This is too easy" Sam muttered. Great. If Sam felt it too, odds were something was about to go wrong. Steve nodded at him, motioning their group to split at the elevators. Nakia joined Falcon as he silently opened the staircase door, while T'Challa and Steve launched themselves from the railing into what used to be their training arena. Steve's vibranium bracelet silently buzzed, revealing a quick message in Xhosa from the stairway team. He inclined his head toward it and T'Challa nodded, extending his vibranium claws.

 _Amadoda amathathu awafa kwizitepsi. Abangaphandle ukusuka phezulu bafika apha kuqala. Hlangana apho umhlobo wethu elindele khona._

Damn it. Steve crushed the hinges to the staircase door as T'Challa mauled the control panel. He hated aliens. As they silently stole down the stairs to Sublevel 2, the roar of a machine gun became clear.

"…Engage, engage, engage!"

"Sir, Hobbes and Clearwood are down. What are our orders?"

"…the _hell_ are these things…"

Steve rounded the corner just in time to see a tall muscular woman stab a spear into an agent's side. The man screamed as his flesh steamed, then slowly melted. A final gurgle and the _snick_ of the weapon being removed marked the end of the man. His assailant stood tall in sophisticated battle armor, a helm of gold and bone obscuring her forehead. Blue hair streamed down her back, mixing in with blood and gore. Presented as a challenge to all who thought they could get close enough to use it against her. Golden eyes pierced his, and in that moment, Steve knew. The woman felt like Loki mixed with Natasha. She was ancient, dangerous, beautifully horrible. She would mow down entire civilizations by hand and laugh with pleasure.

T'Challa grasped his shoulder, prompting him to look further. To the woman's side, a grey alien's flesh rippled with strength as his double-bladed staff decapitated two men at once. His movements were all speed and power. And in the middle of the carnage…Steve's heart stopped.

Vision attempted to surge through the prison cell containing him as Rhodey was snatched out of the air by a huge purple man. He was about the height of the female alien, but if she felt dangerous, this man was death itself. A golden gauntlet shone as he plunged it through Rodey's battered chest, crushing his organs instantly. Steve's vision flashed white as Rhodes' body fell to the floor, gore quickly brushed from the villain's hand as he stepped over War Machine and lumbered to Vision. No. _Hell no_. Not while Steve still had breath in his lungs. T'Challa lunged even before Steve did, heading toward the alien with the gauntlet. Steve followed, a vibranium blade and a glock in his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam and Nakia race to help the remaining agents.

T'Challa's flying leap landed him on the murderer's back, driving his claws into the tissue between his helm and shoulder plate. Steve followed, slipping his blade into a weeping gap in the villain's armor. Looked like someone else had gotten a hit on him. The man roared, throwing both of them off his back and to the ground. Steve tucked and rolled, lunging over to Vision's cell while unloading his glock. A single slash of his vibranium blade cut off the power inhibiter, allowing Vision to phase through the cell door. The Avenger nodded his thanks, then instantly trained the mind stone on their assailant.

"Thanos of Titan, you have gone too far. Leave now. This stone is not yours to take".

The man, Thanos apparently, just laughed. With unnatural speed, the other aliens leapt in front of him, blocking the mind stone's beam with their blades. The force of it pushed them back, but did not harm their weapons. What the hell? That stone had _melted vibranium_. What were those weapons made of?

Vision was visibly dumfounded, but determined nonetheless. He merely phased through the aliens, grabbed Thanos's head, and fired directly at the titan. But the expected impact never arrived.

Steve had no idea what happened. All he knew was the building was shaking and he was being thrown upside-down into a wall. The world went black, then returned with staggeringly bright colors just in time to witness Sam flung toward him by a wave of purple and blue energy. Steve moved faster than he thought possible and caught Falcon by one wing, pulling him in close and using the flight suit to protect both of them as the energy wave decimated everything in its path.

As he pushed his way out of an early grave and into the fire, he was reminded of another time when his world fell to pieces. When he was carrying Natasha instead of Sam. When the body in his arms was breathing instead of…

No.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't lose a best friend. Not again.

Bucky's voice was calling for him through their communications set, filled with panic and worry. Steve figured that explosion must have looked bad from the outside. He was probably concerned about their safety. He should respond. Then he looked at Sam's unseeing eyes. Took in his bashed cranium. No. Thanos was _his_.

His fingers hesitated, then closed Sam's eyes lightly. Folded in his wings, crossed his arms. Laid him on the burning concrete like a pyre. Moved. He felt a gun in his hands, could hear T'Challa next to him screaming over the body of Nakia. It didn't matter.

It didn't matter when the woman's spear pierced his side and tried to burn out his soul. He was made from sterner stuff than that. He was 3 gallons of fight stuffed in a mason jar. Her eyes widened in surprise as he ripped it out and pierced her instead. Let her suffer a bit before snapping her neck. It wasn't enough.

It didn't matter that a purple stone glowed in the golden gauntlet, emitting a powerful shockwave every few minutes. He saw rubble flying at him, then saw it behind him. Some hit him, some didn't. It didn't matter though. He was still moving.

It didn't matter when T'Challa fought the alien with the double-bladed staff. It didn't matter when Bucky came screaming in with the jet, peppering the alien with bullets. It didn't matter when the alien took the plane down. It didn't matter when the Black Panther decapitated him. It wasn't enough.

What mattered was the being standing in the center of the room, the alien's staff in his hands, prying the mind stone out of a screaming Vision. That was his mission. His hands didn't go automatically to his missing shield like they usually did. He wasn't Captain America. He was Steve Rogers. And he was _pissed_.

The purple alien was placing the mind stone in his golden fist. Vision laid motionless on the ground. A chorus in the back of his mind was screaming. Begging. Grieving. Dying. But he was focused, driven. He was determined as he picked up the fallen T'Challa's gloves. He was determined when he drove the claws into the fiend's face. The power stone ripped at his flesh, the space stone prevented his escape, the mind stone whispered in his mind. But they had no power, not here. His flesh was already failing, he desired no escape, his mind was already broken. So he stood, reduced to a five-foot-four asthmatic twig by the gauntlet's shear power and raised his tiny fists.

"I can do this all day".

And when he finally fell, a blade piercing through his neck, he looked one more time at the carnage around him. And it didn't matter.

* * *

"Incoming!"

Tony dodged the chunk of concrete just in time to run into Cull Obsidian.

"Ouch. Ouch". He incanted as he was backhanded into a building.

"Stark!" Dr. Strange whipped some sort of golden thread around himself as his cloak attempted to maim Ebony Maw while Wanda did some hand-wavy stuff.

"A little busy honey". Tony had to dodge the alien's axe, his bleeding edge armor forming into a shield in front of him.

"I have a solution".

"Fan-frickin-tastic" Tony muttered, then turned on his tail to get back to the Supreme Sorcerer of Annoyance. "This better be good, Buffy".

Dr. Strange didn't even respond to the taunt, just stated, "Get Cull within 10 feet of me, I'll take care of the rest".

Well, as long as it wasn't Tony standing right in front of the angry alien. He sped through the street, dodging concrete. "Friday, it's hammer time".

His gauntlet formed into a massive hammer and smashed into the side of their assailant. "Hey fish face! Come and get me".

"Very original, Sir".

"Friday, I don't have time for your sass". Tony's armor wasn't moving fast enough, because apparently an angry fish face was a super-fast fish face. "Boost my rockets, get me back to Strange in one piece!"

As Tony took a crash landing into the creepy house of sorcerers, Dr. Strange lit up the whole street. His golden-red light was intertwined with a greenish glow, twirled in fanciful designs and hemmed in by square boundaries. Cull roared in furry and banged on the energy walls, but he made no progress. Dr. Strange landed, his cloak returning to him for a moment of almost mother-like fussing before returning to trip Maw.

"That flying rug is surprisingly useful".

The doctor leaned heavily against the side of his house, paler than usual. "The cage won't last forever. And I don't have enough power to create a second one. Technically, I shouldn't have had enough power to create the first. I had to take a dip in the multiverse".

"Maw! Come get me out of here!" Man, that alien was not happy. Good. Tony glared at his companion, daring him to come any closer, but Maw merely smirked.

"Just wait there, Cull, as I retrieve the stone for Master. That is why I'm here, after all. To salvage this when you inevitably screwed it up".

Ouch. Apparently it wasn't all wasn't well in villain paradise. Good. He could use a break.

Of course, Friday took that opportunity to hijack his HUD. "Boss, you need to see this".

"Wait, Friday…"

"No Sir. NOW". The AI pulled up a smaller screen, and oh crap on a stick that was Peter.

"Hey Mr. Stark. How are you doing? Good I hope. I mean, obviously not good because New York is under attack, but, you know, alive?"

Tony rolled his eyes, then stopped. Peter's face looked scared. "Peter, you had better tell me you are on a bus on your way to the MET. Or at home with your aunt".

"Um yeah Mr. Stark, I'm definitely at school". Liar, liar.

"Mr. Stark, there is an emergency" Karen's voice rang over their connection. "I am downloading some data to Friday now".

"What. Emergency". Tony's voice was as flat as he could possibly make it. Someone better tell him what was going on. Now.

"Um, well, the giant floating ship thingy was really close to my bus, like 12 blocks. So I put on the suit to do a little recon. And now I'm on it and have some data that Karen is giving you. Also, just hypothetically, can this suit pressurize? Or does it have, like, an air breathy thingy?"

Tony was moving before Peter even finished his hypothetical question. "Why?"

"Um, well, the donut ship started moving up. Like really high. And it's getting really hard to breathe up here. And I don't want to freeze and explode, Mr. Stark. What do I do?" The kid's voice was high pitched now, verging on panic. "What do I do?"

"I'm coming, kid. Hang on". Tony put everything into his thrusters and shot up toward the mysterious ship. It was moving quickly out of the atmosphere as a smaller ship moved to meet it.

"Peter, talk to me".

"Well" the kid was breathless. "The whole school bus knows I'm Spiderman. So maybe, after this, I can come work for the Avengers?"

"You got it, kid. You can be the team mascot". Tony maneuvered around some falling debris, merging his jet boots into one massive thruster. "I'm almost there".

"ETA 30 seconds" Friday incanted.

"Sir, Peter has lost consciousness" Karen screamed.

"I'm almost there, kid, hang on…" Tony almost missed the small form falling past him, dressed in red and white, a mask falling out of his hand.

"No". His suit turned around.

"No!" He plucked the kid out of the air, willed his armor to bring them in at a controlled descent.

"NO!" He landed by Dr. Strange, cradling the kid in his arms.

"This isn't real. This isn't real". Peter had no pulse. His eyelids were gummed shut. His chest was bruised purple. Internal bleeding. Ruptured organs. No. Not happening.

Wanda screamed behind him, full of pain and fury. Maw laughed, even as Wong trapped him in another energy cage.

"Sir, incoming call from Avengers HQ".

"Ignore".

"I'm being overridden. Access granted".

"…don't you _dare_ shut me out Stark, you listen to me right now…" Barton.

"Barton. Piss off".

"Tony, Avengers HQ is ruined. Everyone's…they're all gone, Tony". No.

His HUD flashed, the Black Widow appearing before him. He could see the ruins of a Wakandan ship behind him, Barton dragging a barely breathing Winter Soldier out. Natasha panned her comm unit around what looked like it used to be a sublevel. Vision laid prone on the ground. The bloody bodies of T'Challa, another Wakandan, Falcon, Rhodey…

No.

"We were too late. Whoever did this is gone along with the mind stone". She looked down to her lap. She was cradling someone, Tony noticed. The figure was covered in red blood, a impaled in their neck. Black Panther's vibranium claws adorned their hands, wet with purple blood. A tiny, blonde body. Thin as a twig, dwarfed by a dark blue tactical suit. Steve.

No.

"I can't fix this".

"What do we do, Tony? Come on, you have contingencies for everything. What do we do?" Barton repeated it like a mantra behind Widow.

"Friday, cut transmission". His HUD was now his own. Not that those images would ever leave him.

"Stark, what happened?" Dr. Strange gently touched his shoulder.

"Everyone is dead. Avengers HQ is burned down. Thanos has the mind stone. The kid… _my_ _kid_ …is dead. This can't happen". Tony's eyes fixed on the green gem hanging from Strange's neck. "I can't fix this. But you can".

"Stark, time is not to be meddled with…" Screw that.

"Please tell me, how can this get worse?" Tony spat at the man. "In what universe can our situation get better from here? Let us start over. We need time. You can give Earth that".

Strange looked up at the sky, where the alien ship was leaving the atmosphere and readying it's guns. At the broken bodies around him, at the still wailing Wanda, the grins of the Black Order. And he nodded.

"I'm going to draw something on you. You and I will retain our memories, but no one else will. Come and find me before now". Dr. Strange lit Tony's arm with the same golden light. He then grasped the stone. "You have your second chance. You won't get another one. Use it wisely".

And the world faded.

Tony woke up in his lab. Friday reminding him that Ms. Potts needed him upstairs. His eyes roamed erratically around his lab. He was back. Time to save his world.


	7. Steve Rogers

**Hi guys. I'm alive and writing again!**

 **Now that my brain is functioning, let me clarify the last chapter a bit. That whole thing came from the one scene in the trailer where Peter is on the alien ring going into space and takes off his mask. I also think it is unrealistic to expect the Avengers to magically come together and defeat/hold off Thanos without some sort of foresight, because let's face it, they're all pretty messed up right now. Though to be honest, I really just wanted to write the Avengers get their butts kicked.**

 **For the sake of my sanity and yours, assume nothing changed for our friends in space except for the fact that Thor felt Loki die, and now he hasn't. Once I get all the chapters out, I'll go back and clean up chapter 6. I know there were some glaring grammatical mistakes and some flow issues. I apologize again for that.**

 **I meant to mention this earlier, but forgot so here we go. Any foreign languages I use are generated using Google translate, whose translations are dubious at best. So I apologize for any inaccurate/rough translations. If anyone speaks these languages and wants to provide a better translation, I would appreciate it! Last chapter I used Xhosa, which is the official language of Wakanda in the MCU (and is a real dialect spoken mainly in South Africa I believe). The writing is different in the movie (they use a pictography base in the MCU) but I am using the Google-translate version of Xhosa. About as accurate as I could get. This chapter, there are some Thai translations, which I also don't know and used Google translate for. Finally, one of the minor characters in this chapter is learning English, so his grammar is off. This is not meant to be offensive in any way so if it is let me know and I will change it; I know if I was learning another language, I would sound _much_ more choppy than this character does! **

**In case you haven't noticed, I'm running really close to my deadline on this story (*Sweats while looking at calendar*). So I'm going to be updating as I get things done, hopefully twice a week? Because I have three weeks to finish this and like zero time to write. Yay (with lots of sarcasm).**

 **As always, an extra special thanks to those who have favorited, followed, or commented on this work. I love hearing from you guys!**

 **Willowdawg992003: Yeah, a little bit of a tone shift from the rest of the chapters :) I agree, MJ is too smart and observant to not know Peter is Spiderman. The action sequences were a bit confusing because Steve was disassociating, but let me know if it still doesn't make sense after the second read-through and I will edit the flow! The Guardians and Thor are still in space, so nothing really changed for them. Valkyrie did die, and as for Heimdall...well...only Heimdall knows ;) Thank you for your review!**

 **Dragonrider1234: I am honored that I temporarily rendered you speechless! :D Thank you so much! I agree, it is probably darker than the movie will go, but Thanos isn't exactly known for his mercy and I loved having the opportunity to showcase that. Unfortunately, not a lot of Tony in this chapter or the next, but he will be coming! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Guest: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Yeah, I pretty much butchered the Avengers. It is my personal opinion that MJ already knows (or suspects) Peter is Spiderman, so that will come up again in this story for sure! I can guarantee that less people will die at the end of this story than I just killed, but there are still some major character deaths coming...**

 **HeartofChaos13: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I am so glad you enjoyed the chapter. I had that thought about Cap while writing this out. It all comes down to whether Steve in the MCU is as powerful as Steve in the comics. Steve in the comics could definitely take down a member of the Black Order (it wouldn't be easy, but he could do it). Personally, I don't think we've seen the limits of Steve's power in the MCU yet. Could he take down Thanos? No. Absolutely not, at least not by himself (even though the trailer shows him holding-off the Mad Titan off for a couple seconds, he's not going to throw the punch that takes Thanos out). Could he take down a member the Black Order? Potentially, with the right motivation and a lack of self-preservation. And there is no better motivation than a dead friend (sorry Sam). I definitely don't think he could take Ebony Maw or Cull Obsidian. He's not in the mental place right down to deal with Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian is essentially a Hulk (that's an oversimplification, but I'm going with it). Honestly, it's a matter of opinion. One could argue effectively that Steve can take down a member of the Black Order or cannot. But that's where my mind was at. Sorry, I'll step down from my soapbox now! :) Thanks so much for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!**

* * *

 ** _Song: All Fall Down by One Republic_**

Steve Rogers woke up.

Groaning, he squinted at the clock. 5 am. It didn't feel like he had slept for long enough, but it would have to do. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, grabbing his watch and t-shirt from the window ledge. The bed groaned ominously, but apparently today was not the day it would finally break.

Steve booted up his chunky laptop before stepping into the narrow hallway outside his room. The landlady and her children were fussing around the kitchen table, busy preparing a pot of oatmeal for the residents. He ducked into the rickety restroom to relieve himself before they could corner him. After returning to his room, he carefully logged into the computer and checked his emails. He didn't fully understand how it worked, but Natasha had managed to set up secure communication for the former Avengers through a variety of foreign emails, electronic drop points, and social media. In his email account, there was a quick update from T'Challa and a mission briefing from Natasha's trip to Russia. He ignored the few unread emails from Shuri in favor of viewing his surveillance feeds around the building. Nothing looked out of the ordinary this morning. Good.

Next order of business was arranging his trip. After a moment of consideration, he typed a brief advertisement in the _Beeld_ newspaper.

 _Elderly man looking for travel companion to the United States. Must be well-traveled and familiar with Manhattan and Brooklyn. Expenses will be paid in full. Email with inquires._

There. Sam should get that tomorrow. They could travel to New York within a day or two and arrive in the city by Tuesday. Barely, but it would work. Steve knew if he had asked Sam in advance and given him time to think it through, they would have never gone. It was probably stupid. But Steve had missed almost 70 years of his mom's birthday, and he wouldn't let a little thing like the FBI or Interpol stop him from visiting her grave. He was stubborn like that.

In the meantime, Steve had a job to do. He tied his running shoes with practiced ease and slid out through the alley entrance. Steve paced himself stringently as he jogged down the side street. Not too fast but not too slow. Just another average runner out enjoying the rare cool day in Bangkok. He turned down Sathon Thai and maneuvered around the throngs of people and tuk-tuks past the German Embassy and into Lumphini Park. Large groups of runners streamed around the grassy park jogging at all speeds. Steve ignored them until he came to a small group in black t-shirts. One man approached Steve, offering a short wai to him. Steve returned the gesture with respect.

"สวัสดีนายสตีฟ! ที่นี่เพื่อเพลิดเพลินกับอากาศเย็นที่ฉันเห็น?" the man asked, walking alongside Steve.

Steve nodded and smiled at the thin man next to him.

"ฉันสนุกกับมันขณะที่มันกินเวลา"

The man's face lit up as he grinned cheekily. "Good, Nong Levi! Your Thai improving".

Steve gave the man a small smile in return, "And your English is excellent as always, Pee Somsak". They began to jog, sticking to the back of their running pack.

"You always too kind. Tell me, we have not been seeing you here last two days. Are you alright?" Somsak smiled at a familiar couple walking along the grass, then turned back to Steve. Steve nodded, cognizant of the man's keen eyes watching him.

"Sorry about that. I injured my hamstring about a week ago during my trip to Pyeongchang and wanted to take a few days off before I started running again". Which of course wasn't true, but he couldn't exactly tell his jogging buddy that he'd left to burn a former Hydra funder's mansion to the ground. And he was limping a little bit from a bullet to the calf. The story would hold. Hopefully. Somsak was as observant as Natasha when he wanted to be.

Luckily, Somsak just huffed before smacking Steve on the shoulder. "I tell you, be careful Levi. Do not run too fast Levi, you will hurt something. But you cannot listen, no. As if wax is blocking your ears!"

Steve laughed softly. "Sorry Pee Somsak. I should have been more careful. I think it was the speedwork that did it".

The older man hmphfed again. "No need for speedwork. Only jogging. Fast running down street is for children". The twinkle in Somsak's eye told Steve he was messing with him. "Perhaps ugly animal fur on chin slowing you down?"

A startled laugh escaped from him as he fingered his beard. Facial hair wasn't exactly common here, but combined with his long hair, it helped disguise his facial features. It was getting a bit out of control though. He wisely conceded to the older man, "Maybe my face could do with a trim".

They jogged slowly around the park, chatting and enjoying the unusually cool weather. Somsak was well connected in the city to the elite, the foreigners, and the slums. He truly enjoyed the man's company, but also used him as his primary information source. Sounded like all was well for the moment. Steve had been staking out a former Hydra member for a little over a year between missions. The man was careful, but it sounded like he was starting to make minuscule moves in the wealthy community.

After a brief goodbye to the running team and Somsak, Steve went to the apartment and cleaned up in the building's shared shower. His morning runs were as much for his own sanity as they were to maintain his cover. It had been almost six months since he had seen the rest of the team. After a close call with the authorities in Shanghai, they were all laying low. Steve's current cover was as an up-and-coming Canadian journalist, who was using Thailand as a base of operations to cover stories primarily in Southeast Asia. As covers went, Steve was pretty proud of it. Especially since Natasha hadn't called to blow holes in his story yet.

After saying hello to his landlady and her children, he grabbed his camera bag and caught a taxi to the airport. He really did have an editor to submit stories to, but the Canadian newspaper only used them when their current correspondent was unavailable. The rest of the time, his "articles" were sent to another editor for a small newspaper in Africa; aka Nakia. Steve was sure she laughed at each one she received, but ever the spymaster, she dutifully sent him back "edits" which contained information about Hydra targets and updates from Wakanda. Yesterday, he had received one of his articles back with interesting information.

 _Our competitors are very interested in the upcoming summit to discuss the South China Sea conflict. The Japanese delegation has offered them a special press pass. Do your best to get a similar pass. We wouldn't want them getting the jump on us._

 _P.S. Your brother is responding well to the cancer treatment and wishes you would come home to visit. My little sister frightened our cat yesterday while training in the newsroom. I don't think the cat enjoys sharing her attentions._

Translation: Hydra is going to make a move at the summit. Shuri is training in spy stuff with Nakia and T'Challa hates it. Big surprise there. Steve chuckled to himself a bit, ignoring the information about Bucky. He was pretty sure Nakia was just being nice. Last time he had seen Bucky…no, James, the man wanted nothing to do with him, content to hang around Wakanda and help Shuri in the lab. Rediscover himself. Steve was happy for him, he was. But honestly, he wasn't sure who he was without the Army or the Avengers or Bucky.

Stop. He was being ridiculous. Don't be morose, Steve. He tapped on the side of the taxi window, sighing. He used to be Captain freaking America, he was better than a pouty two year old. Petty personal concerns didn't matter. Steve had a mission; he had to finish the job. He ignored the little voice in the back of his mind screaming that his job had been finished when he threw down the shield two years ago in Siberia.

* * *

Steve woke up in the airport with a start, breathing deeply and trying to banish the remnants of blue hair and a double-bladed staff _._ He briefly inspected his luggage (which was unbothered), then checked his email and the newspaper and every secret channel he could inconspicuously check in a crowded airport. The uneasy feeling didn't go away. Images flashed through his mind, of Bucky screaming as his jet went down, of Rhodey with a hole in his chest, of Vision laying unseeing on the ground. Something bright and green…

 _A burning pain in his neck. The Spider-Kid falling through the air, Iron Man zooming up to catch him. Tony's face wrought with grief. "I can't fix this, but you can"._

Steve started awake again. What the actual hell? He was a super soldier, he only needed about three hours of sleep every night. Unless he had been learning new information, in which case his brain needed more sleep to compensate for his eidetic memory. Maybe that was it. Maybe these dreams were actually memories. But he would have remembered these…images…that were coming to him. They couldn't be real. Right?

Steve rubbed his forehead and glanced at his watch. Paced back and forth. Checked his watch again. He had an hour to kill. An hour to try to convince himself that these dreams weren't unusual. It didn't work. Before he could talk himself out of it, he pulled out his burner phone. The one he swore never to use unless the only person with its number used it first. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, fingers bridging his nose as if to physically field off his doubts. Then hit the only contact in the phone and waited for it to ring to voicemail…

"Steve?" He had picked up. Steve sat there for a few seconds, letting that fact sink in.

"Hello, Steve? Is this a prank call? Because if so, I'm not in the mood".

"Yes. Tony. It's Steve". Wow way to go there, Soldier. Great communication.

"Wow, okay, this is weird. I was going to call you. Which I did not plan on admitting, but yeah, lack of sleep is currently overriding my very thin mind-to-mouth filter. Anyways, some strange stuff is going down, I think…" Tony trailed off, sounding much older all of a sudden. Steve didn't want to interrupt, but when it became apparent Tony wouldn't continue his thought, he asked, "Why do I keep seeing a green stone?"

Silence. Clarify, Steve. The man probably thinks you are insane if he didn't already. "Sorry, I mean, I'm having these dreams, and I know how that sounds, but I promise I don't belong in an institution. I keep seeing the kid from Queens falling through the sky and an alien I think with blue hair and Rhodey…Rhodey has a hole in his chest. I didn't want to bother you, but you were in them, saying you couldn't fix it but then someone used the green stone? I thought they were dreams at first, but they feel like memories?"

Silence again. Steve started sweating a bit. He shouldn't have called Stark over _dreams_ for Pete's sake. He was a grown-ass adult, not a scared child. He knew better than this. But then, "Shit".

"Language" Steve couldn't help but jest, then physically covered his mouth as if he could take the word back. "Gosh, I'm sorry Tony…"

"Don't worry about it" he could practically see the engineer wave him off, "We have bigger fish to fry. Ones that override any personal and legal issues you and I have. I can't really explain this, but…oh screw it, I need you to come to Avengers HQ. If you don't, the people dying green stone thing will actually happen".

Crap. He was seeing the future now? How was that even possible? Was this a trick? "Are you saying I'm seeing…"

"Rogers" Tony interrupted him, sounding deadly serious for once, "If you have ever trusted me in your life, trust me now. Come to Avengers HQ. Bring some backup. I promise I'm not going to turn you in. I _swear it_ Steve, on my arc reactor. We need to fix this".

Steve didn't even hesitate, "I meant it, you know. We'll be there when you need us. Give me a day or two".

He could almost hear Tony nodding, then he ended the call. Steve sighed, picking up his carry-on bag and moved to guest services. Hydra would have to wait.

"Can I help you sir?"

"Yes, I need to change my ticket".

"What is your final destination?"

"New York City".

* * *

Nakia read the email once, then twice. Then again, to make sure she wasn't missing something. Oh, they were going to _love_ this.

The woman stood up from the corner window she had claimed as her workspace today and started towards the palace gardens. She knew T'Challa would be there, eating his lunch before afternoon training with the Dora Milaje. She smiled as she pushed through the thick vegetation surrounding the gardens and saw Shuri hanging upside down from a tree, T'Challa laughing and trying to remove her from the branch.

"Your scheming will not work, brother. I am no longer ticklish".

T'Challa laughed, light and carefree. "I don't know, Shuri. Your feet were always the worst".

"No!" Shuri shrieked, twisting around to shove her brother, but he merely climbed up into the tree and tickled her feet, roaring with laughter as she fell to the ground with a small _umph_.

"You menace!" Shuri brushed pieces of grass off her t-shirt, flicking them at T'Challa. Nakia cleared her throat loudly, knowing this argument wouldn't end any time soon.

"Excuse me, your highness, but I have news". And then she had to laugh as T'Challa tried in vain to brush off the grass and straighten his tunic.

"Yes Nakia?"

"We received a message from Steve Rogers. He's going back to New York City. He said something about fixing the future, whatever that means".

T'Challa looked at her with his poker face, but Nakia could always see through it. He was troubled.

"The _hell_ is that punk thinking?" Nakia started as Barnes emerged from the bushes, where he had been watching the siblings squabble. The vibranium arm glittered merrily in the sunlight, but his face was dark and angry.

"He has to have some reason. Captain Rogers doesn't do anything without thinking through the logistics first" T'Challa stated, rubbing his face.

Nakia raised her eyebrow. She was pretty sure there was one instance that Steve threw logistics out the window, and it was standing right next to them.

"It'll be a miracle if he isn't caught and arrested" T'Challa continued.

"The miracle will be if the jerk ever grows a brain" Bucky muttered in the background, kicking at the grass. "So when are we leaving?"

* * *

Peter Parker flopped on his bed. His calculus teacher was trying to kill him. Really, this much homework ought to be sorted under cruel and unusual punishment. To make matters worse, he had to spend all of Tuesday with Mr. Davis. The man hated him. His misery was probably why it took him a full three minutes to notice something was out of place (no Karen, it wasn't because he was oblivious). On top of his AP physics textbook, there was a sleek silver briefcase. A hastily scrawled note sat on top of it:

 _Peter. Thought it was time for you to have this. Keep it with you at all times. –TS_

 _P.S. Read the instructions this time, Parker._

Peter gaped at the briefcase, then moved it to the floor and popped it open. Holographic displays lit up, illuminating a sleek metallic Spiderman suit. The one from Avengers Headquarters! He pushed a button, and the whole thing retracted into two metal wristbands.

"Sweet" Peter breathed out, placing the wristbands on his arms. Though he wondered briefly what caused Tony to give this to him now, he was too distracted by the HUD lighting up to think on it.

"Welcome, Peter. Would you like to begin the tutorial session?" Even Karen sounded excited.

Peter grinned, stretching to swing up to the roof in one fluid motion, calculus homework forgotten. "Let's kick some butt, Karen".


	8. Thor, Peter Quill

**Hello friends. I'm going to make this short and sweet: here's a space chapter, thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any questions about the timeline. Alternate title for the chapter: author has too much fun with character backstories and movie quotes.**

* * *

 _ **Song: Don't Bring Me Down by ELO**_

The Milano's pod was very small. Thor shifted uncomfortably in the tight space, his shoulders penned in on either side by the infernal metal contraption. He missed the ability to travel by the Bifrost. Even after its destruction during the Frost Giant invasion, he remained truly ignorant of its importance until it was completely gone. Thor was struck by a sudden sense of grief, one that had been missing since he found Bruce on Sakar. His father's death, the pain of his parents' lies, his sister's reign of terror, his eye, Mjolnir. The weight of his loss was almost overwhelming at times.

But he couldn't afford to wallow in his grief. His people were on Earth, his brother was alive, they had started and ended Ragnarok in one go. Not a bad week. It could have been much worse.

The small furry warrior and his tree companion were arguing constantly in the pilot and copilot seats. Thor wisely remained squished in the back of the pod, not wishing to accidently goad the creatures into a fight. A strange feeling of foreboding niggled in the back of his mind, like he knew how poorly this fight would go, but hadn't consciously realized it yet.

"Hey Asgardian. We're approaching Nida-whatever. Might want to hail your King friend so they don't blast us out of the sky on approach. This pod's weaponry is crap".

Nidavellir. Thor hadn't been here since he was young, holding fast to his father's coattails with Loki a silent shadow behind him. King Sindri's father had been a competent ruler, though he never managed the balance his son had. Sindri still somehow found time to build and innovate in the forges while leading his people through the great famine and the Vanaheimr trade war. It won him the respect of his people, not just their fear. Though Sindri's father was a good man, Thor only remembered his great anger when he discovered his son and Thor playing in the forges. Sindri had made armor for himself, beautiful as it was functional. Thor crafted a battle axe, which in hindsight was little more than a rock on a stick. Only once the King had finished yelling about the dangers of working unaccompanied in the forge did he separate the children. Once Sindri had been whisked away, Thor found his own shadow in the corner of the forge, finishing a long dagger. The steel was strong and glistening, the hilt twisted with gold and obsidian. A heart-shaped pommel bore the House of Odin's mark and was separated at the top by two rounded circles. The cross-guard was inscribed in flowing gold script, "Strength Within". At the time, Thor had mocked Loki's creation, imbued with jealousy and childish anger. Loki had wilted, but pocketed the weapon before leaving Nidavellir. Though Thor didn't notice at the time, too enthralled with his own lessons and friends, Mother wore the dagger proudly at her hip for the rest of her life. He'd found it on her body and given it to his brother, who'd sneered but used it through the battle with Malekith the Accursed. Thor remembered plucking it from his brother's body and keeping it with him, stored on the Avenger's Quinjet while they hunted for the mind stone. He'd hope to give to his brother after the Ragnarok incident, but then, you know. Thanos.

After the incident in the forges, Thor didn't see Sindri until after his coronation, when he visited Asgard to give tribute to Odin. Once he was King, they had kept in touch, reconnecting at the annual Asgardian celebration of the Great Beginning each year. Hopefully their mutual respect would be enough to warrant his aid now.

Thor gingerly took the small earpiece that was apparently a form of communication device and tapped it a few times until he could hear a voice, "Please identify yourself. Unidentified pod, halt immediately!".

"Hello? I am Thor of Asgard and I seek an audience with Sindri the Forger King".

Silence. Maybe the device didn't work. "Hello? Are you there?"

"Freakin' dwarves, living underground. Reception is terrible" Rocket muttered, slowing the pod but keeping the engines on. "This better work".

"Thor of Asgard, you have been cleared for entry. Your…ship…will be receiving landing coordinates momentarily".

Thor acknowledged the bodiless voice, then turned to the small rodent and tree with a raised eyebrow. The rodent, Rocket, rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah blondie. Wait until we get what we need and get off this rock before gloating".

Thor nodded. That was acceptable. He craned his neck as they entered the mountain, maneuvering around mine entrances and other landing pads until they arrived at their designated landing zone. The air around them was thick with soot and the walls glistened black. A small delegation patiently waited as Thor unfolded himself from the pod.

"Greetings, Odinson. What brings you to Nidavellir on such short notice?" a stocky woman inquired, bowing shortly. She nodded to the rest of the delegation, who swept behind them as Rocket and Groot left the ship. Thor could hear Rocket grumbling about leaving their pod unguarded, but Thor glared at him and he ceased his yammering.

"My Lady Davana" Thor began, mirth glittering in his eyes, "Are you not glad to see me?"

She snorted, gesturing to the mine around her, "You know I am. Sindri has been holed up in meetings for the last two days. He will be pleased to have an interruption. But you understand my meaning. It is not as if we are children anymore. A visit from the Prince of Asgard to the King of Nidavellir usually comes with a lot more logistics".

Thor grimaced. He'd known it would take a while for the nine realms to hear the news of Asgard's fate, but was still surprised it hadn't traveled faster. These Guardians of the Galaxy seemed to know something was amiss and they were much further than the nine realms!

"King Thor, actually". His tone was apologetic though his face showed no emotion. He had been trained for this his entire life. Thor hated political decorum, but he had to do this. Asgard couldn't afford for their king to fall apart.

Davana's face crumpled before she hastily rearranged it. "I'm so sorry, your majesty. The news had not reached us yet. We will of course help in any way we can. When is he sailing to the halls of our ancestors?"

"A lot has happened in the last week, Davana, including my father's final journey. And please, there is no need for honorifics here. This is _your_ home".

She looked at him uncertainly, knowing there was much he was leaving out. As they arrived at the dwarven council chambers, she seemed to accept that specifics would have to wait for a better time. With a gesture to the rest of their entourage, Davana swept through the council chamber doors. The second the doors were open, voices rushed out like crashing waves, discordant and argumentative. Sindri sat atop a high chair of obsidian, head in his hands. Davana waited a few seconds, then banged the butt of her axe loudly on the council floor. Dozens of heads snapped up, turning to face the ones who dared interrupt their session. Unsurprisingly, their expressions of anger faded when they saw it was Davana standing before them.

"Boys" she teased tensely, walking toward the King's seat. "Sounds as if the world is ending in here". The councilmen wisely moved out of her path, allowing their small delegation clear passage.

"Might as well be! The clan of Gridin is raising the tax on steel. They simply cannot do this! It harms the smiths and those who purchase from them, causing…" An older man trailed off at Davana's sharp glare.

"Please gentlemen, let's table this discussion for today. As of today, all steel sales will continue at the previous tax rate until debate can be resumed. You are dismissed". Thor was surprised no one questioned her, though their glares as they left the hall conveyed their distaste quiet well.

"Wait, I thought this place had a King?" Rocket's voice echoed off the chamber walls, sounding sharper than it usually did.

Thor glanced quickly at Davana, hoping she wasn't offended by his very vocal friend. But she only grinned and continued striding to Sindri's place in the hall. "There is. My husband, King Sindri of Nidavellir. But in our culture, the right of inheritance is neither matriarchal or patriarchal. Simply put, the firstborn child of each family ascends to King. As I am married to Sindri, I head the royal household and gain some power with that position".

"Please" Sindri's rough voice was tinged with overuse as he finally stood up and slowly made his way to them. "That may be the official reasoning, but the truth is none of my councilmen want to challenge the reigning champion of the axe throw. She is more terrifying than our entire army".

"Why thank you dear" Davana pecked him on the cheek, then elegantly gestured to their strange procession. "May I introduce his majesty Thor of Asgard and his companions, Rocket of Halfworld and Groot of Planet X". When Rocket's eyebrows raised in alarm, she grinned. "I'm also a skilled technician. I hacked your ship's log".

Thor flinched, knowing how protective the raccoon was of their ship. He started to apologize, only to be interrupted by maniacal laughter. "Oh I like you! You're better than the humies I travel with. You lookin' for a job?"

Davana giggled, "Not at the moment, Rocket. But I'll keep you in mind in case I get sick of working with this one". She jabbed her finger in Sindri's side, laughing when he jumped a few feet.

"Fair enough" Rocket shrugged, then gestured at Thor as if to say, "Get on with it!"

Right. "King Sindri, my friend, it is good to see you".

Sindri clasped his forearm tightly in a gesture similar to Midgardian handshakes. "Thor, my friend, it has been too long. But what is this I hear? You are a "your majesty" now. Did you finally accept your birthright from the All Father?"

Thor smiled sadly, unhappy to be the bearer of bad news, "No, my friend. Odin is dead. His spirit passed to the land of our forefathers at the time of his passing, taking the Odinforce with him". Before Sindri could respond, he continued, "With the passing of the Odinforce, a new threat was revealed. My sister, Hela of Asgard, took control of my home and slaughtered our army".

Sindri gasped, hand clasped tightly over his mouth. His eyes glistened with regret and grief. Davana fingered her axe, eyes murderous. "Where is the traitor?"

Thor laughed humorously, "Gone, hopefully. With the help of Loki of Asgard, Hulk of Midgard, and the last Valkyrie, we started Ragnarok and released the fire demon Surtur from his depths. He consumed Asgard in fire, but he took my sister down with him. What was left of our people escaped to Midgard using the tesseract". It seemed a bad sign Thor found their expressions of shock mildly amusing.

"That was a bad week" Sindri whispered incredulously. Quickly, he shook his head. "I assume you have not made this trip impulsively. What can we help you with?"

"We need to get a shiny stone of death and destruction to Terra, but the frickin Nova Corps, which is also extinct thanks to that egotistical piece of Titan crap, put barriers around the whole flarkin quadrant". Rocket casually pulled out wire and unstable chemicals from nowhere and started to assemble something that looked suspiciously like a bomb. Thor began to think he should have kept Rocket away from Sindri. The chaos they could generate together was unfathomable.

"Titan? Thanos?" Davana questioned, glancing at her husband. "He wanted something to get through the barrier a few years ago, but we refused. He didn't take kindly to it but has left us alone since then".

"Good". Thor wasn't particularly worried about them selling to Thanos. He knew they would never do that voluntarily. "I need to get through the barrier. With Asgard destroyed and the tesseract on Earth, there is no other way to enter Midgard".

Sindri hesitated for a moment. "Your brother doesn't know another way?"

Thor shook his head, "He's on Earth with the tesseract as well. Plus, most of the backroads of the universe closed up when Asgard fell. Yggdrasil is in chaos".

Sindri nodded decisively. "It's decided then. Give me a day and I'll get you through the barrier. The small furry one is welcome to help if he desires. It appears he is good with wires and metal".

"Who're you callin' small?" Rocket muttered, but he pocketed the device (bomb, Thor decided, definitely a bomb) and joined Sindri. The dwarf king started down another narrow hallway, but paused at the doorstep, "Where's Mjolnir?"

Thor grimaced and shook his head. Sindri's hands clenched a few times, then his eyes lit up. "Well, that level of craft is beyond even my ability. But we have a forge above Nidavellir, one that harnesses energy from dying stars. It could simulate the conditions my ancestor used to create your hammer".

Thor's eyes lit up. Though he knew nothing would ever compare to Mjolnir, he desperately needed another weapon. "Thank you, old friend".

Sindri grinned, "Anything for the Odinson. Davana, get him set up?"

"Of course". She smoothly stepped around their small group and tugged on Thor's arm. "Come now, King Thor. Let's get you outfitted. Groot, you can go with Rocket and Sindri". The tree nodded in agreement and left with the other two men.

Thor and Davana walked down a narrow set of stairs into the royal armory. "Choose a base for the weapon" she stated, eyes picking through the rows and rows of finely crafted weapons. Thor nodded and meandered down each row, picking up a few and discarding them almost immediately. It wasn't until he reached a solid axe that he finally stopped. He grasped the smooth wood, testing the grip. A smooth whirl around his head showcased the blades' shine, the edge humming through the air.

"This one" Thor stated, enthralled by the detailed inscription in the axe's blade.

"Good choice. This is one of Sindri's creations" Davana was smiling as she lead him to a lift. "He will be proud his weapon was chosen".

"Indeed he should be proud" Thor agreed, "What does the inscription mean?"

"In twilight, to be born again" the queen read, switching to the other side of the blade, "A blade forged, a soul abided". She laughed lightly, fingers caressing the blade, "I have no idea what it truly means. Sindri woke up one night, jabbering like a mine mouse. He rushed down to the forge and returned with this two days later. He claimed to have seen the inscription in his slumber. At the time, I thought he was full of it. But now? Maybe this weapon was always meant for greatness". She smiled softly at Thor, then carefully reconstructed what Tony called a "poker face" before stepping out to a landing pad. "We all morn your losses, my friend".

"Thank you" Thor sighed as they boarded a hovering platform. "There isn't anything to do now but to rebuild. I sometimes think that fate had it backwards; I was given a hammer and used it only for war. I now use a sword and soon this axe in a time when Asgard needs nothing more than peace. A hammer for waging war, an axe for rebuilding. 'Tis like jumbo shrimp" Thor nodded sagely as Davana looked confused for a moment, but shrugged it off.

"Rebuilding is important, but your people need to survive the Mad Titan first. Perhaps the battles of your youth were waged to prepare you for this day". 

"Perhaps". Thor quickly put his metaphysical speculation to rest as they approached the sky-forge. The structure consisted of four mammoth panels pointing in each direction to gather energy. In the center, three smaller rings floated in the air. One held a lens similar in form to Stark's arc reactor. That would be where the energy was released. The next ring was home to a set of clamps, which Davana quickly fastened around the axe. Finally, there was a third ring to the side, which held a multitude of levers. Davana pointed to that set, "That is where you will stand. You must pull both of the large levers simultaneously. The Eye of A Thousand Stars will direct the energy to your weapon, imbuing it with similar qualities to your lost Mjolnir. You will not be able to travel as you were with the great hammer, but it will not be easily destroyed and will cut through near everything like wheat in the fields of Vanaheim".

Thor nodded and took his place, fingers curling around the levers in anticipation. Danava stood on the side while a dwarven priest raised his arms next to her.

"May he who is worthy step forward and harness the energy given by the gods. May he forge for himself a weapon with no parallel, one that will live until our mines run dry and Nidavellir crumbles to dust. When the memory of life is gone, the weapon shall remain. Thus the forgers of Nidavellir and the wielder of the holy weapon shall live forever". The priest nodded and stepped back, head bowed as if in prayer.

Thor breathed deeply. Though he believed the properties of Mjolnir were from scientific and astrological means, the dwarves of Nidavellir treated forging and the energy used to create them as holy. Each dwarf was thought to hold his soul in his weapon. When that weapon failed and the dwarf remained, he had to quickly forge a replacement weapon, using whatever remained of their old one, or their soul would forever wander in the cold expanse of space. Thor had nothing left of Mjiolnir, but apparently the act of harnessing the light of a dying star was considered a holy act regardless.

Thor grimaced as the levers resisted him. The apparatus didn't move an inch, even when harnessing his considerable strength. The King's mind traveled without permission to another time when he stood straining in the pouring rain, the Son of Coul placing him in restraints and leading him away.

 _Not worthy_.

The voices sought entrance to his mind, attempting to capitalize on lingering seeds of doubt. But this time, Thor was stronger. He wasn't the wielder of Mjolnir, nor the firstborn of Odin. He had no place to call home, no golden throne. But he was still here. Because he was Thor, god of thunder. Protector of the Nine Realms. King of Asgard. He would not be cowed.

"I call on the spirit of Mjolnir, weapon of the gods" Thor panted, whispering the words to himself. "Mjolnir deemed me worthy. Through trials of fire and death, Ragnarok deemed me worthy. Hear me now, forefathers. Give me the strength of those before me". Thor felt the levers begin to give and screamed in triumph. He retained enough control to slam both down at the same time, feeling rather than seeing the forge glow with brilliant light. The axe shone too brightly to bear as the heart of a dying star strengthened it through fire.

When Thor finally lifted the axe from the ring, he whispered, "I deem you Jarnbjorn". The Uru metal blade flared red, the last ember of a star long forgotten, then faded to cold steel. Davana laughed softly behind him, "You named your axe 'Iron Bear'?"

"Yes" Thor simply stated, feeling the cool, solid wood beneath his palm. "However great my father was, he made many mistakes. I will learn from both his mistakes and my own. Slow to anger, but certain death when provoked".

Davana simply nodded behind him. "Like your mother".

Thor huffed softly, a small smile on his face. "Yes. Like my mother".

As they descended back to the small pod, Thor fingered his blade. His den was destroyed, his cubs were scattered. The bear was awake. And he would wreck a thousand worlds if they dared to take what was his.

* * *

"Your ship is filthy".

"Welcome aboard, Nebula. How're you? I'm doin' well, thanks for askin' " Peter grumbled as the assassin stepped through the Milano's airlock.

"I don't care".

"Yeah I got that" Peter muttered before sealing the door. Gamora didn't hug her sister or anything, but they looked at each other for a moment before stepping back to the Guardian's table. For them, that was a huge public display of affection. Peter thought about wiping imaginary tears from his face, but determined that could only backfire. Look at him. Thinking before doing for once.

"Any news, sister?" Gamora questioned.

"The Collector is in his hovel. We must hurry. If Thanos has not arrived already, he will soon". Nebula snapped her mechanical arm out of place, then back in. Now that was just creepy.

"Alright Guardians. We move quick. I'm guessin' the Collector won't be amendable to handin' over the reality doohickey, so Drax and Nebula can distract 'im while Gamora and I steal the thing. Kraglin and Mantis, you'll stay back and guard the ship. Keep the engine runnin', we're gonna need a quick exit". Kraglin mockingly saluted while Mantis just nodded with wide eyes. Peter glanced at each of them before moving on. "Each of us needs to grab a containment sphere. Ya never know how the Collector has the gem stored. That place is one big-ass death trap".

"How should I distract the ugly old man?" Drax inquired. "Perhaps one of Rocket's balls of foul air? Or a Terran dance-off?"

"I'm not dancing" Nebula stated flatly.

"While I'm always down for a dance-off, I'm thinkin' the stink bombs are the way to go here". Gamora nodded with approval at Peter's statement. Yay! Good job, Peter. Really killing it with the adulting today.

"Alright people, let's lock 'n load". Peter spun the energy pack on his quad-blasters dramatically before holstering them.

"Lock what? Is there some key we require?" Damn it Drax, way to ruin an awesome line.

"It just means let's go". Peter should be resigned to this by now. Why did he choose a crew with no panache?

"Why did you not just say so? You talk too much" Nebula spat, snatching her energy batons and stalking out of the Milano, Gamora on her heels.

"Damn it, they make everything look so awesome without even tryin'!" Peter muttered, closing the hatch as they exited the ship. He was undeniably cool, but it took a lot of effort to maintain his irresistible charisma. Life was so unfair.

The Collector's shop was indisputably creepier than it was during their last visit. Peter swallowed hard as he took the lead, mask slipping seamlessly over his face. The night vision revealed no creepy servants with porcelain-doll smiles like last time. In fact, the entire hallway was empty and devoid of life signs.

"I've got a bad feeling about this".

For once even Drax didn't attempt to argue. The Guardians snuck along the hallway behind Peter, weapons ready. After a few minutes, Peter saw dark shapes strewn across the floor. A quick visual inspection told him they were bodies.

"Private security, looks like".

Gamora nodded curtly as she checked the bodies. "Dead".

"I heard something" Nebula whispered, head tilted slightly to the right. Peter strained his ears, just barely able to pick out the sound of someone whimpering and the smell of urine. Ah, that would be the Collector. And probably Thanos too. With the Titan's unwelcome presence, their plan was likely to be thrown out the window any second now. Damn it, it had been one of his better ones too.

He took the lead again, following the voices out of the hallway and into the main atrium. Most of the cages were ominously empty, obviously damaged enough during the fight to allow their inhabitants to escape. A sudden shout had Peter freezing, holding up his fist to signal the rest of the group to stop. Of course, they just kept walking right past him.

"Hey!" he hissed, grabbing the closest arm…oh that was Nebula. Oops. Whatever, they would all be dead in a few minutes anyways so he might as well make another enemy, "The hand means stop. Stop walkin' and listen".

Nebula started to argue, but Gamora gestured for her sister to wait.

"I told you, I don't know where it is…please….please!" The collector wasn't even trying to hide his fear now.

"Do you think me a fool?" Thanos's voice was deceptively soft. Crooning mockingly, he continued, "You keep such _detailed_ records of your _treasures_ , ancient one. Do not think your years of life are a match for my years of experience. Give up the stone, and you may keep whatever treasures remain".

"That is Thanos" Gamora whispered, fingering her sword. Yeah, Peter had kinda gotten that impression.

"If he is here, the Black Order will be close". Nebula sounded a bit uncertain.

A great crash rent the air as the collector slid across the floor. His hands clawed at the ground, fear evident on his face. The Guardians could just see the white of his hair as he was dragged back out of their line of sight.

"The reality stone. Now". Thanos was no longer feigning pity.

The Collector was struggling to breathe, but Peter could barely make out, "I told you. I sold it. Why would I lie?"

The Mad Titan chuckled, "I imagine it's like breathing to you".

"Like suicide" the Collector whispered, grunting in pain. Peter moved slightly closer, hoping to get a better glimpse of what they were dealing with.

"So you do understand" Thanos whispered. Peter could hear shifting armor as the Mad Titan leaned over the Collector's body. "Not even _you_ would surrender something so precious".

"I didn't know what it was" the Collector spat.

"Alright, we need a new plan" Peter whispered, looking at each one of them.

Drax wouldn't meet his eyes, choosing to focus on the golden bloodstain on the ground instead. "It's him".

"Then you are more of a fool than I took you for". Thanos was livid now. Gamora and Nebula both flinched, subconsciously moving a half a step back. "Last chance, charlatan. Where is the stone?"

"Today he pays for the deaths of my wife and daughter". Drax fingered his knives, then withdrew them from their sheaths.

"Wait, wait, wait. Drax, wait" Peter hissed, reaching for the man. The alien merely pushed his arm aside and stepped forward.

"For my wife Hovat" his whispered almost incoherently.

"Drax. No". Peter's heart sank. Not now. They couldn't afford this. _Drax_ couldn't afford this. They needed to snatch the stone and get the home-field advantage before Thanos decided they were worth his attention.

"For my daughter, Kamaria" Drax continued, flipping his twin blades.

"Not yet! Not yet! Drax!" Drax strode forward into the room before Peter could stop him.

"Drax!" Gamora snapped, then sighed and stepped into the room after him. "I guess we are doing this now" she muttered. In a millisecond, her face transformed from confused and upset to completely blank. Her chin raise incrementally as she drew her sword. "Hello, father".

Nebulla made to follow, but Peter grabbed her arm. "No! We need to find the stone. It's here. The Black Order is probably combing the shop right now" he covered her mouth as she began to argue, valiantly dodging as she tried to bite him. "I can't take them, Nebula. Not on my own. I need you". He paused, "The galaxy needs you".

The blue warrioress paused, looking almost longingly at her sister. Then she sighed and turned back to Peter, "Fine. We do it your way for now. Even though you are naïve, insufferable fool".

Peter nodded. He could deal with that. Sparing one more glance toward his teammates, he slipped silently back into the rows of cages. They could still hear the whimpering of the Collector and the droning voice of the Mad Titan as they moved further into the shop, this time interrupted occasionally by Drax's deep rage and Gamora's sharp retorts.

Stop. He couldn't focus on them right now. He needed to focus. The Collector obviously knew Thanos was coming. Not in enough time to pack up and run, but he had time to hide the stone. Because Peter agreed with Thanos; that fuzzy-haired freak knew _exactly_ what the reality stone was. And it wasn't with some mysterious buyer.

Tivan was smart, but his obsession with _collecting_ was going to be the death of him. He didn't care if Thanos had the stone. He was pissed that Thanos was trying to take the stone away from _him_. The Collector was obviously willing to die for it. So where would he put the crown jewel of his collection when the Black Order came calling? Where would they never look? Certainly not the cages or the storage rooms or anywhere in plain sight. Thanos wasn't stupid.

No. Back up Peter. The Collector didn't want to hide his possessions. He wanted to show them off, prove he had the best artifacts in the galaxy. He wanted Thanos to lose and he wanted him to know it was Tivan who beat him. He wanted to _humiliate_ the Titan. Peter snorted. That was going real well for him.

"Where are we searching, Peter?" Nebula whispered as they knelt next to the second floor balcony.

"Gimme a second" Peter stated, eyes roaming around the atrium. Come on, Peter. Where was it? He slipped his mask on and searched for energy signatures, even though he knew that would be in vain. Thanos would have found the stone already if it were that easy. It would have to be in a containment device of some sort, something like the orb…

"Son of a bitch".

Nebula stared at him. "You found it? From here?"

Peter nodded, "We need to draw Thanos from the atrium. I think the Collector stashed it in there". He paused, looking closer at Gamora's father in confusion, "He doesn't have the gauntlet. We know he has the power stone already. Why not use all the tools at his disposal?"

Nebula nodded slowly as Drax and Gamora finally clashed blades with the Mad Titan. Drax roared with grief and pain as he hacked at the Titan, only to be thrown to the ground. Gamora took the lead, slicing high as Drax hit him from the ground. "Taneleer Tivan is an Elder of the Universe. Thanos would not risk the gauntlet falling into his hands".

Peter nodded slowly, "It makes sense. Plus, if Tivan has been around for forever, Thanos is probably aimin' to give Whitey as big of a "screw you" as the Collector is hopin' to give him. He would want to gloat he defeated him himself".

Nebula nodded in agreement, "But he'd have it close by, just in case".

They both jumped as their hiding place shuddered. If he had to guess, Peter would say Drax got thrown into the wall. "We need to do this now, Peter Quill". She hesitated, then offered, "Knowing him, he would give the gauntlet to Proxima Midnight, who would stay hidden unless he needed her. If I can draw her out…"

"Then he will go to her aid, especially if he thinks the gauntlet is in danger" Peter finished, nodding curtly. "If you think you can do it without dyin' on me, then that sound like a plan".

"A weakling like you is in no place to judge my ability" Nebula spat flatly. "You better be ready when Thanos leaves. He will not be gone long".

"Good luck. You've got this" Peter gave Nebula a thumbs up, who rolled her eyes in disgust and slipped away to the other side of the atrium. Peter settled in restlessly as he watched Gamora and Drax get their asses handed to them. He made a mental note to say that idiom out loud later. Drax would have a coronary.

Feeling a bit useless, Peter checked his equipment a dozen times until finally, a piercing scream filled the air. His heart dropped, until he realized it wasn't Nebula. He'd heard her scream before and this was much lower, but definitely feminine. Proxima Midnight. Thanos flicked (literally, he _flicked_ ) Drax and Gamora into the wall, then strode toward the storage room at his back. It was working.

Peter slipped on his headphones, the steady wine of ELO activating his "thievin' mode" as Yondu called it. He waited until Thanos completely disappeared, then launched off the balcony and dropped onto the atrium floor. Gamora and Drax looked at him with confusion and anger respectively, but Peter ignored that for the time being. "Ya know, yer crazy sister is fighting yer crazier sister to draw Thanos off. She could probably use some help".

"What are you doing, Peter?" Gamora questioned, already moving toward the door.

"I think I found the stone. Gimme as much time as you can".

Drax grunted in understanding and ripped his knives out of the wall. His footsteps echoed down the hall toward the storage room as Gamora nodded slowly at Peter. He replied in kind, inclining his head toward Nebula's location and winking. He had this.

Once the Guardians were gone, he turned his attention back to the atrium. Specifically to the ceiling. He could hear the Collector groaning on the floor next to him.

"You'll never find it, Starlord".

After getting over his delight at hearing that name, Peter rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. "Tivan, Tivan" he chided, "Anything can be found. Particularly if the owner is so obvious about its location".

"If it was obvious" the Collector spat, "I would be dead and Thanos would have the reality stone. My client left no information. I don't know where it is".

"This is probably the only time I'll ever say this, but I agree with the homicidal purple bastard. You forget, Tivan, I brought you the orb. You knew what that was. There's no way in hell you didn't know you had the reality stone when it was handed to you. Especially" Peter leaned briefly over the man's abused body, a shark toothed grin firmly in place, "when your source told you exactly what the Aether contained".

The Collector's face somehow lost even more color as his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Peter just snickered and turned his attention back to the stone. He didn't have all day.

"Now I know you, Tivan. You're flashy. You have the best collection and you want the world to know it. You also want to rub this in Thanos's face". He activated his rocket boots and shot up toward the ceiling. The previously destroyed glass dome had been replaced by a solid, gilded ceiling. Artifacts were fused into the sides of the dome in an almost haphazard manner, probably worth millions of credits apiece. But only one drew Peter's attention. One that was marked as a Titan Haab', used to mark the days until their holy week. Peter had done some research on the trip to Knowhere (yes Rocket, he could use his datapad for something other than games and holovids) and the entire calendar system of Titan was based around their religious holiday. The whole society would gather in the capital city and participate in activities such as scientific conferences, tournaments, and a whole day of bloodletting in preparation for judgement day. The day their race would rise and conquer the rest of the universe.

On that exact day three hundred years ago, the Celestials deemed Titan's society unworthy and wiped the planet of life. This particular calendar, fixed to the ceiling of the Elder Collector, was set to the exact date of Titan's destruction. Peter didn't believe in fate, but he also didn't believe in coincidences. And this, this was the Collector's equivalent of a middle finger.

Hopefully.

Peter carefully pried the center of the Haab' out of the ceiling, containment sphere ready and waiting. Sure enough, a red liquid streamed out of the hole. This was the reality stone. If his HUD's flashing warnings didn't prove it, the look on the Collector's face certainly did.

"Peter!" Gamora was suddenly screaming into his com unit. He almost dropped the sphere, fumbling for a minute before recovering and sealing the device. "We're leaving!"

Peter dropped to the floor just as his teammate ran through the door to the storage room, pausing briefly to shove a few display cases in front of it. Drax was still roaring, but Gamora had a death grip on his arm. "Not now, Drax. We'll kill him another day". The big guy hesitated, then nodded in agreement.

"I hope you were correct, Quill" Nebula grumbled as they sprinted out, past the dazed form of the Collector.

"Ye of little faith" Peter muttered, dodging electrical sparks as they careened around the entrance of the store.

"Peter!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't get yer panties in a twist, Gamora. I've got it". Peter ignored the insane people running next to him in favor of saving their hides. "Kraglin, fire up the engines and get us out of this hellhole!"

"Heya Peter. Things went that well?" Damn it Kraglin. Not the time.

"Listen you cretin, if the ship isn't ready to leave as soon as we arrive, Thanos will burn your eyes from your body. Of course you will already be missing your limbs because I will _rip you apart_ if we've made it this far only to be _caught_ in Quill's _disgusting rust bucket_ because of your _incompetence_!" Way to go, Nebula. That would get him moving. Wait.

"Hey? What're you callin' rusty?" Peter complained, dodging a falling display case.

"Alright, alright, girlie. I'll have her up and runnin', yew jest move yer asses" Kraglin muttered. Peter rounded the corner and almost cried. His baby was hovering above the ground, ready to get off this rock. Peter grabbed Gamora's waist and launched upward with his rocket boots while Nebula used a grappling gun (from her arm…gross!) and Drax merely launched himself off the ground and onto the ship's ramp. In seconds, the Milano was closed up and entering upper atmo.

"How did you find it?" Gamora asked when he proudly unveiled the containment sphere.

Peter grinned wickedly, leaning back in the pilot's chair as the Milano shot toward Earth, "Elementary, my dear. Elementary".

Of course two seconds later he was on the floor, arm twisted behind him painfully. Eh. Worth it.

* * *

Death did not become the Collector. Rigor mortis had done its work, affixing his face in a permanent grin. It was…irksome.

"My Lord? The stone appeared on our sensors for a brief second before disappearing. I believe…"

"The _Guardians_ took it" Thanos sneered, interrupting Corvus Glaive as he strode out of the infernal Elder's shop. Proxima Midnight trailed behind, blood dripping from a scratch over her right eye. Though his daughter failed to remain hidden, she retained the gauntlet and defended it against his traitorous child's attack. That small victory would spare her life. His son, on the other hand, "I'm well aware. You should have been there". Thanos fixed his son with his most disappointed glare.

"I know. I apologize, my master. I am unworthy and will accept any correction with gladness".

Thanos nodded. He couldn't afford failure, but he also couldn't afford to lose members of his Order now. They were ready. True, he planned on snatching the tesseract from Asgard's ruins and acquiring the reality stone from this sniveling cretin, but nothing that had been done thus far could not be undone with a few easy countermoves. Something niggled in the back of his mind with that statement. _Undone._

No matter. He would ponder it during his journey to the next stone.

"What do we do now, my Lord?" Glaive questioned, cowering behind the might of his master.

Thanos didn't even hesitate, "We move against Earth. Send for the Outriders. It is time".


	9. T'Challa

**Hello! Now, you may have noticed there's a lot of story left and a week until the movie is released. Which is a problem because real life has decided, "Yes. This is a good week for exams and mountains of work". Yeah.**

 **Keeping that in mind, look out for a chapter a day. If I miss one day, I might have to do two chapters the next day. Just hit refresh, people, and there'll probably be something new. *Fights allergies and school like skinny Steve fights bullies and types faster***

 **This chapter is kinda a filler, but next chapter, our superhero will kick ass and take...well, a huge beating to be honest.** **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Song: Friend Like Me from Aladdin**_

The Wakandan jet landed on Avenger HQ's front lawn. Okoye immediately engaged the cloaking device and smoothly moved to the back of the jet. Sam Wilson and James stood near the door, checking their equipment. Outside their plane, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton waited patiently.

"Steve's not here?" Sam inquired, strapping on his flight pack (new and improved of course; Shuri wouldn't let him out of the country otherwise).

"Nah. He ended up flying through Toronto and driving down to avoid the authorities" Clint finished screwing an arrow head onto the shaft, then placed it in his quiver. "Should be here soon though".

"And the complex?" Barnes sounded almost nervous, which was unusual. Both Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier had exceptional emotional regulation. Things like nervousness didn't slip through. Usually.

Of course, Steve was coming. T'Challa knew Rogers had not returned to see his friend since the communication debacle about a year ago. James had been fresh out of ice and still didn't trust himself around people. T'Challa wasn't privy to the details, but Steve had walked away looking wounded and made an effort to stay out of Wakanda on self-determined assignments ever since. James couldn't contact him directly due to security concerns, but Nakia passed along as much as she could through code. There had been no reply. The king sighed. There were some things in life that couldn't be fixed by wealth or power. Friendships fell into that category.

Natasha and Sam outlined the tactical advantages and disadvantages of the Avengers building while Clint poked at Barnes' arm with a partially constructed arrow. That did not seem wise for his continued health.

"Who is in the house now?"

Natasha acknowledged Sam's question, "We saw a Quinjet fly in early this morning, then Iron Man flew in around 8am. Rhodes met him on the roof. He's walking again with the help of an advanced prosthetic, by the way. I haven't seen the Vision, but Steve seemed confident he was here". She looked around, "Did Scott not come with you?"

T'Challa chuckled lightly, "No, he was in the middle of a time sensitive experiment with Shuri. I believe her exact words were that if 'I don't finish extrapolating data right now, the quantum realm will implode and destroy Wakanda'. He seemed to agree, so I left them to it".

"Good plan" Clint said lightly, eyebrow raised.

Natasha's phone blipped. She flipped it out and read something, then put it away again. "Steve's here. Take down the booby-traps, Barton".

Hawkeye reached around her to grab a complex remote control, flipping off a couple switches. "Yeah, it would be a shame to assemble on his say-so just to blow him up when he arrives".

"Why am I friends with you?" Barnes questioned, rolling his eyes.

"Because I'm amazing and everyone loves me".

Natasha flicked his ear and James gave him the middle finger. Clint screeched in protest, but paused his pursuit of revenge as Steve rode up on an ancient motorcycle. He flipped the kickstand and pulled off the helmet, revealing a dark beard and unkept hair. Well, he certainly didn't look like Captain America anymore.

"Sorry I'm late. Had a little trouble with border security". Steve dropped a small rucksack to the ground and rummaged around it in, pulling out an ancient flip phone. T'Challa didn't know they made phones that simple anymore. He made a mental note not to mention the device to Shuri. She would likely be offended by its very existence.

"Your cover blown?" Natasha inquired, giving him a quick hug, then running her fingers through his hair and nodding in approval. "It wasn't half bad this time".

"Thanks" Steve said, apparently choosing to take that as a compliment. Though knowing the Black Widow, it probably was. "No, but apparently I've been to enough 'high risk" he paused to bend two fingers on either hand, something Shuri did often. He believed they were called "air quotes". Westerners were strange. Steve continued, "…countries, they flag your passport and question you before entering the country. Wanted me to wait a day while they processed my information".

"What'd you do?" Sam asked, trying and failing to hide his grin.

"What any of you would have done. I told them my meeting would be over by then and left, drove to Prince Edward Island, then swam across Lake Ontario at night. Picked up this bike on the other side and here I am".

"You swam across Lake Ontario at night" T'Challa asked flatly, ignoring Clint and Sam's howling laughter and Natasha's look of approval.

"Yup". Steve shook T'Challa's hand, "It's good to see you again".

"You too, though the circumstances could be better. This is a huge risk, Steve" T'Challa warned.

"A stupid risk" Okoye muttered in the background.

"Stupid's his middle name" Barnes responded, then started, like he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Steve looked over at his friend warily, briskly nodding, "James".

James stepped back like he'd been shot, poker face dissolving for a minute before being hastily reassembled. Steve looked a bit confused by Barnes's reaction, but moved on to his flip phone again. "We're a bit late, so I'm going to call. Don't want to get barbequed because we startled them". The man suddenly looked sick, glancing at Wilson out of the corner of his eye. What had happened? Steve Rogers was lost and a little out of it last time T'Challa had seen him, but this was something else. He would bet whatever had Captain America spooked had brought them all here as well.

"Tony?" Steve was saying into the phone, "I'm here. Are late party guests still invited?" He paused for a moment, the corner of his mouth quirking up for a second, "Fashionably late it is then. Give me five minutes".

"You have Stark on speed dial?" Clint spat.

Steve merely raised an eyebrow, "Yeah. Just because we had a difference of opinion doesn't mean we should leave the Earth vulnerable to spite each other". He pocketed the phone and started toward HQ. "If it makes you feel better, I wasn't planning on using it".

T'Challa stepped in front of him. "I believe it would be prudent to share what changed your mind".

The man nodded, his keen eyes never leaving T'Challa's. The only thing Steve would see was T'Challa's resolve and perhaps a pinch of curiosity. His father always said a being's eyes were windows to the soul. A man could say one thing or act one way, but their eyes always held the most truth. Steve's eyes were carefully blank, concealing a shimmer of grief, confusion, and a stubborn streak wider than the Great Mound. "I will. Let's get inside first".

That was acceptable. T'Challa gestured toward the Avenger's building, "Let us go then". He turned back to Okoye, who fixed him with her best glare.

"You know I have the utmost respect for you, Your Highness". Oh no. When Okoye said that, nothing good ever came of it. His suspicions were confirmed as she continued, "But if you tell me to stay with the plane, I will join with Shuri and release her cache of videos to the internet". The devil had the gall to smile sweetly at him. "I'm sure Nakia would love to help".

Crap. T'Challa stood taller, "I would never suggest such a thing".

Okoye just laughed at him and walked next to Natasha. "That's what I thought". Menace.

The trip from their hidden glen was short, though not exactly easy. T'Challa could see the former assassins glancing around nervously as they crossed the expansive training yard, uncomfortable without any sort of cover. In contrast, Steve strode purposefully toward the doors, never hesitating. T'Challa didn't know if that was bravery or stupidity.

Whatever it was, it paid off. The doors slid open neatly when they neared, no agents or soldiers in sight. Just…

" _Sestra_ " Natasha strode to the front of the group to hug the Scarlet Witch. She looked young, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt that proclaimed some Stark Industries charity event. " _Chto ty zdes' delayesh', ditya_?"

"Natasha! _Rat teebya veedet!"_ Wanda laughed, a pure, clear sound. "Mikula showed me things. What is coming. I had to warn Stark". Wanda's accent was less pronounced after two years in hiding. There was still a trace of Sokovia in her voice, but it was mixed with Wakandan, Russian, and English undertones, creating a unique blend that suited Wanda well. "And I was still bleeding. The _proklyataya nozhevaya_ _rana_ opened easily and I am awful at medicine".

The girl hesitated for a second, then added, "Pepper and Tony took care of me and brought me here". Wanda glanced nervously at the rest of the team, but wasn't met with any hostility. T'Challa noticed with approval that while no one was particularly excited to be back, no one was actively angry either.

There was a time for arguing and T'Challa had a feeling today was not that day.

After Wanda had greeted the rest of the team, she padded down a long, concrete hallway, the rest of the team meandering behind. Okoye glanced around, obviously unimpressed with what was surely a highly advanced facility.

The hallway spit them out into a large common area, equipped with a kitchen and sofas. Clint flopped down on the largest couch like he owned it, while the rest of the group gingerly took their seats as if afraid to disturb the fragile peace.

"The furniture's not made of glass, you know?" Tony Stark sauntered into the kitchen, Vision following behind. T'Challa's eyebrows raised in surprise. The robot no longer sported his green and yellow getup, but chose to settle in a human form. Tony Stark on the other hand looked pale. Tired. "They were literally made to be sat on".

"Tony" Steve said, standing up hesitantly. He reached over, hand outstretched. Tony didn't even hesitate before taking it, then surprisingly drawing Steve in for a hug.

"It's good to see you in one piece, Steve". Tony's voice was tight and drawn, muffled by the super soldier's shoulder. As quickly as he'd drawn him in, Tony released Steve and walked away as if nothing had happened. T'Challa's eyebrows were permanently fixed to the top of his forehead along with the rest of the team's. What had happened during the last week to bring these two stubborn men together so dramatically?

"Um, can someone tell me what the hell is happening? Cause last I heard, we were war criminals and none of us wanted anything to do with the others". Thank you Sam. T'Challa would like to know the answer to that question too. "I mean, this is great and all, but a little creepy to be honest".

"No, you know what's creepy? Cap's beard. Whatever hole you've been hiding in lately doesn't suit you". Tony was back in the kitchen, filling a glass with some strange-looking green liquid. Why would anyone drink that?

"Steve, Tony. Not Cap anymore". Steve's voice was gentle but firm.

Tony hesitated for a moment, glass partway to his mouth, then shrugged and downed the glass. "Alright, whatever floats your boat".

This conversation was going nowhere. "I would like the answers you promised now, Steven".

Steve nodded determinedly, glancing at Tony. "Well, I'll do the best I can. It's a little…out there".

Tony snorted so loudly T'Challa was certain some of his juice was now in his nose. "Yeah, a little out there is the title of my life. We can have story time, but you are going to have to leave as soon as Rhodey gets back with our other guest. Ross is on my ass about capturing Wanda and is going to make some sort of surprise appearance because he's a jerk like that. Plus, you know, places to be. People to save. Angry egotistical boy bands to stop".

What?

"What Tony's saying is we have another alien invasion on our hands" Steve stated blandly, nervously cracking his knuckles.

"Are you kidding me?" Clint shot up from the couch, gripping his bow tightly. "No. Just…no!"

"I did not sign up for this" Sam said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Wait, _another_ alien invasion?" Barnes questioned, "Is this a thing that happens now?"

"Be quiet!" The Scarlet Witch's voice echoed through their minds, silencing the group immediately. "We need to move. I have seen this…boy band…and they are not a force to be trifled with. They come seeking the infinity stones".

"Wait, like the stone in Vision's head?" Natasha asked, crossing her arms in disgust with the world in general. T'Challa could relate.

"Yes, the mind stone. The green one is on Earth too" Steve stated.

What was an infinity stone? And which was the green one? T'Challa glanced over at Okoye, whose facial expression mirrored Natasha's.

"Oh and the tesseract has made a repeat appearance by the way" Tony stated, clicking around on his phone. "Rhodey's here. You guys can continue story time on your way back to Wakanda".

"Wait, you called us all here just to go straight back? What the hell, Stark?" And yeah, T'Challa could relate to Clint's exclamation. What was the point of dragging them all out here just to have a conversation they could've had in Wakanda?

"Because we had to! Gosh, how nice it must be to live in ignorance! To think this is just some ploy on my part to pettily inconvenience you all". Stark was hissing now, hand clenched in a fist around his phone. "I called you here because in the future, you come too late and everyone dies!".

Silence. Did he just say the future? What? T'Challa was getting tired of not understanding what was happening.

"Guys" Steve spoke hesitantly, but firmly. "We needed to pick up Vision and the rest of the team. We need to keep them safe. Because if we don't, the world falls. And none of us are left to avenge it".

"Okay". The team's eyes all swiveled around as T'Challa spoke for the first time. "We will go back to Wakanda, keep the stone and Vision safe. I assume you have a solution for this green stone, Mr. Stark?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah, I've got that covered. Not sure what to do about the tesseract, but we don't have time to worry about that. I've narrowed down its location to a hundred mile radius in the Himalayas and have been broadcasting it on an old Avengers frequency. No worries about Thanos picking up the signal, but I'm hoping Thor will make an appearance since it's with the rest of Asgard". He waved off the inevitable questions, "Asgard is destroyed. Bruce can tell you more about it".

"Bruce?" Steve asked, head tilted. Tony nodded and Steve shrugged, apparently willing to believe just about anything right now. "Okay. If we have everyone, I think we can go?"

Tony gave them a sharp nod, then whispered something in the Captain's ear. Steve muttered something in acknowledgement and shook Tony's hand, then gestured for the rest of them to follow. Wanda hesitated for a moment before wrapping Stark up in a brief hug, then taking Vision's hand and leading him out. T'Challa inclined his head to Tony Stark as they walked with the rest of their ragtag group to the roof.

"Special delivery!" Rhodey called as the War Machine armor landed with a clunk, Dr. Banner in tow. "Woah, I see we have guests Tony…"

Bruce quickly interrupted him, "Tony! You'll never guess where I've been…"

"Asgard. Stakar. Grandmaster. I know. You can give these guys the lowdown" Tony said, sparing a moment to shake Bruce's hand before the Iron Man armor formed around him with a forceful gesture. The armor appeared to be liquid, leaking out from Stark's black jacket and molding to his body in the form of the Iron Man suit. T'Challa's eyes widened. That was impressive indeed. For outsider technology at least.

"Upgrade?" Banner asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, had something else in the works, but not enough time to finish it. Anyways, got to go save the world". And with that, the billionaire jumped off the roof and into the air.

Rhodey shook his head in disgust. "I'd better go after him. By the way, you have incoming from the military. I thought they were crazy, chattering about war criminals in upstate New York, but apparently Tony invited you. I would leave before they get here". With a weary sigh, the War Machine armor closed back up and shot up after Iron Man.

"Well, that sounds good" Sam muttered in a voice T'Challa was quickly learning was his "why am I here" voice.

"Um, guys?" Barnes questioned, looking up at the sky. A military helicopter approached rapidly, turrets out and spinning.

"Um, shouldn't we do something about that?" Clint asked, arrow already nocked.

"Slow them down" Steve ordered, gesturing toward the fire escape stairs on the roof. "We have to protect the mind stone. That's mission priority right now". He glanced nervously toward the road, where the roar of armored trucks could be heard. "And we need to go. Now".

"You are explaining a heck of a lot on the plane trip, Steve" Sam muttered, but flew Rogers up past the roof without complaint. Barnes took aim as Sam threw Steve from below the chopper. The Captain rolled inside, already taking out the men in back with extreme prejudice. James fired, a bullet filled with sedatives imbedding itself in the pilot's neck. The rest of the team moved off the roof and sprinted across the training field. T'Challa and Okoye took the front guard, taking out a few special ops personnel on their way to the glen. He could hear the helicopter land safely behind them and the scream of more men climbing out of armored trucks.

Vision went to stop and talk with them, but Wanda held out her hand, "No! That won't work out!"

"I am on their side, Wanda. I can reason with them…"

"No. They will place you in chains and you will be sacrificed to death itself". Wanda's voice was tight and filled with wonder, as if she had no idea what she was saying. "Don't ask, Vis. I just know somehow".

"She's right". Steve was suddenly beside them, pushing the pair toward T'Challa. He happily obliged, pulling the Vision's other arm toward the plane. "We can't do this right now. Go!"

The super soldier grabbed one of the concrete road blocks and embedded it in the side of an armored truck. James was right beside him, tugging him toward the plane while Sam covered the pair from above. The group barely made it into the forest before another chopper was heard, scouring the land around the facility.

"Guys? Why is the military attacking us? Why are we running? I didn't even have time to pack a toothbrush. What happened to your hair, Steve? And who are these guys?" Banner pointed at Barnes, T'Challa, and Okoye, clearly confused.

As Natasha hurriedly shuttled Banner onto the plane, T'Challa and Okoye fell to the back of the group.

"When we decided to open Wakanda to the world, this is not what I imagined" Okoye stated, twirling her staff absent mindedly.

"Oh? What did you imagine?" T'Challa asked with some amusement.

"The Olympics? Maybe even a Starbucks?"

T'Challa chuckled quietly as they boarded the plane and shot into the air just as the alien pod landed and the military left their vehicles. There was no time to waste. They had a country to defend.

* * *

Halfway across the world, the sun rose over a mountaintop village in the Himalayas. A single pod from his landing craft screamed overhead, ready to destroy the remnants of Asgard and claim what was his. There were less bodies than he had imagined, but Thanos still preened as he lead the Black Order through the village.

"Hello".

The Mad Titan grinned with far too many teeth. The person he sought stood in front of him surrounded by blood, tesseract in hand. "Loki. We meet again".


	10. Loki, Peter Parker, Tony Stark

**As promised, my daily chapter for the countdown to Infinity War! If you're checking in for the first time in a couple days, I posted a chapter yesterday that outlines this week's game plan. Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those who have commented, favorited, or followed! I appreciate you guys so much!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Song:_** ** _Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes_**

The instant Heimdall sensed the Mad Titan's approach, the persistent feeling of déjà vu Loki had felt all day intensified. He couldn't ignore it anymore; this day had happened already. And he had a feeling he didn't want it to happen again. When Heimdall announced that he was leaving, Loki wasted no time with petty feelings. He grabbed the tesseract and _used_ it to pull Valkyrie and himself into the temple.

"What the _hell_ trickster?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you wish to complain more while the Mad Titan slaughters us all?" Loki rolled his eyes, drawing her over to the crowd in the temple. "Not all our people are here. But you need to take them and go. Now".

She looked up at him with questioning eyes, clearly perturbed but finding no legitimate reason to snap at him. "But those still outside…"

Loki raised his eyes to the heavens, praying for patience. With a flourish of the tessaract, Loki sent the evil wretch away with more than half of Asgard. Hopefully they would land in Norway. In the meantime, he gathered the rest of his people in the church, ready to transport them as soon as he could. A small voice told him this was a futile battle. Loki didn't care. Whatever happened now, Asgard would live on, and that was more than they'd managed the first time around.

He stepped outside the temple for only a moment, but it was long enough. The world crawled along in slow motion, the Mad Titan leaning out of the pod with a wicked grin and a golden fist with one purple gem. The temple that was meant to be their salvation crumbled instantly, crushing his carefully gathered people and sending them to the halls of their ancestors without fanfare. Loki's careful trek through the remains yielded only bodies and a golden sword, glittering far too cheerfully among the ashes. Heimdall's sword, abandoned by Valkyrie before the tesseract sent her away. The stench of death was devastating, but Loki knew that it could have been worse. That last time he'd lived this day it _had_ been worse.

The Black Order stepped out of their landing craft, Thanos in the lead. Loki stood atop the ashes of his people, chin high and tesseract displayed prominently in hand. He knew what would happen now. He'd seen it before. But this time, Asgard would live on. He was not the last of his people.

"You see what your foolishness has wrought, boy?" The titan's hand waved over the destruction it had caused and Loki tried to shake off the déjà vu, instead using it to his advantage. Keep what worked, get rid of what hadn't. "You cannot truly believe that I will greet you now as an ally. You failed once, and rejected me again. Give me the stone, and I can promise death at the end of your suffering".

Loki smiled, eyes tilted upwards almost seductively. The steel in his eyes, however, promised entirely different intentions. "Believe what you will, Mad Titan. I am many things, but not a fool. You will defeat me". The trickster let the version of himself standing in front of Thanos fade as he whispered in his ear, "But let's have a little fun first. Death is overrated".

Loki felt nothing but satisfaction as he drove Heimdall's sword into the Mad Titan's back. It took all his strength, but the tip pierced through the armor and into flesh. He was moving before the Titan's howl could be heard, using his magic to confuse the mind-walker, Ebony Maw. Cull Obsidian was next; a simple leg-binding spell would hold him for a few moments. Proxima Midnight was on him before he could stall her, but his twin knives held her spear at bay for the moment. Loki knew deep in his bones he would not survive contact with the weapon, and dodged accordingly. He danced around her, matching her supernatural speed with unending grace, a symphony of flashing knifes and wisps of magic. Corvus Glaive returned from tending to his master, double-bladed staff screaming, the thunder to Proxima's lightning. Loki could feel his stamina wavering and knew the time had come for his final move. Without hesitation, he threw the tesseract toward Thanos, watching in unbridled glee as the entire Black Order jumped toward it.

He knew from the past future it was time to confuse them, to plant the seeds of doubt. To finally join his ancestors with honor. But before he could draw chaos to himself, a small craft roared overhead. The orange and blue ship pivoted in the air and fired on the Black Order.

"Yeah, eat my lasers butt munch!" Was that raccoon _flying_ a _spaceship_?

"Guardians!" Thanos roared, retrieving the tesseract from a squabbling Black Order and crushing it in his hand to reveal the space stone underneath. The stone immediately flew to his gauntlet, glowing brightly as it melded with the golden glove. Well. That was unfortunate.

The Black Order apparently had beef with these Guardians, because they quickly drew ranged weapons and attempted to eliminate the spaceship with extreme prejudice. Thanos, however, clearly hated Loki more. His dark eyes fixed on Loki as he clenched his fist and strode toward him. "You. Will. Die".

That wasn't really what Loki had in mind for the day, so he drew his twin blades and donned his best shark-toothed grin. The Mad Titan lunged, decapitating one of Loki's illusions before crushing another one to dust. Loki laughed, clear and mocking, "Oops. You should learn to tell the difference between illusions and reality, Titan". He drew his cape like a warrior taunting a bilgesnipe and shoved Thanos past him.

Thanos landed on his hands and knees, but Loki's satisfaction dissipated when the Titan's gauntleted hand smashed the ground. "Oh crap".

The power stone roared, releasing a shockwave that threw everything in the vicinity back. Loki felt himself flying, then crashing rather painfully into the ruins of the temple. Before he could so much as blink, the Titan was on him, striking blow after blow to his face. Loki reached for his hidden dagger desperately, but the Titan just snatched it from his grasp and drove it into his side.

"Finally, traitor, you die. I wish I could draw it out more, but my conquest waits for no one". Thanos grabbed a sword, Heimdall's sword, and lifted it high above the trickster. Loki closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable blow to come…

And then he heard a familiar sound. Loki's eyes flew open as he let a smile spread slowly across his face. The Titan hesitated for a moment, which was all Loki needed. Because as the space ship began to blast some sort of horrible music, a figure dropped from the sky like lightning and blocked the Titan's death blow with an…axe apparently. Well that was new. The axe whirled dangerously, singing with anticipation. Thor obliged it, blocking the Titan's gauntleted fist and sending him reeling.

"You are late" Loki deadpanned, wincing at the pull of the dagger in his side. He braced himself, then ripped it loose, holding the slick steel in his hand as he faced the Titan with his brother. Loki took a moment to examine his kin. Thor didn't look too bad, considering.

"You know me, brother. I found some friends and invited them to wage war with us". Ah. That's where the spaceship came from.

"You always pick up strays" Loki jested, following the joke's familiar trail.

"These strays will impress you, I think". Thor's attention never left the Mad Titan's quickly recovering form. Loki was beginning to think Thanos was playing with them, hoping to draw every ounce of enjoyment from this experience.

Thor interrupted his thoughts, "We carry precious cargo. It would be prudent to collect what remains of Asgard and leave".

What? Loki stared at his brother, "Who are you and what did you do with Thor Odinson?"

Thor chuckled, sending a blast of lightning at the Mad Titan, "Perhaps I have finally learned from you, brother. Survival sometimes requires a hasty retreat".

"Hey Sparky, y'all comin' or what?" A humanoid figure wearing what appeared to be a mask hovered above them, twin blasters covering the ship from the Black Order's increasingly effective assault. "We can't hover here forever!"

Thor gave him a thumbs up. Loki grabbed his brothers arm, whispering, "The tesseract…"

"Is lost, brother" Thor said gently. "We would lose more than we would gain attempting to retrieve it".

"You will lose everything anyways!" Ah. That would be Corvus Glaive with his double bladed axe. Loki really hated Earth.

Thor easily parried the alien's first blow and stepped to the side. Unfortunately, he stepped straight into Thanos, who flung the Asgardian into the ruins, fists clenched. Thor drew lightning, but Thanos scored more than a few hits before his brother managed to free himself. Loki fought viciously against Glaive, slick dagger in hand, but the man was no brute. He was skilled and possessed unparalleled stamina, able to match Loki's every step. Loki feinted and sidestepped, procured illusions and small acts of sorcery, but Glaive took it all in stride.

"Brother!" Loki could hear Thor call, "Mind yourself!" 

Crap. Loki managed to push Glaive off him for a moment then ducked, hand outstretched behind him. A faint shape whooshed past his shoulder and nicked the fabric of his tunic. The hand held behind him snapped forward like a serpent and grabbed the object flying past him; a long dagger. _His_ long dagger, the one he forged for his mother long ago. Though he had many questions (like how his brother came to possess that particular weapon), the trickster wasted no time slashing Glaive's hamstrings. The alien screeched in pain and surprise, not anticipating a new weapon from the trickster.

As Glaive fell, Loki lunged, vaulted off the alien's shoulders, and flipped backwards toward Thor. He took a moment to rein in a pinch of chaos, which ensured his kick to the Titan's jaw would disorient him. Loki pulled his brother to himself and focused, drawing on the lessons of his mother. The brothers flattened and tightened and squeezed through time and space until they were sitting in the space ship. A living tree and the raccoon jumped, while two warrioresses touched their blades to the brothers' throats. Everyone jumped in unison as the flying mask man fell into the ship through what must be an airlock. "Guys, we gotta get out of here right frickin' now!"

"Rocket…" the green lady warned, and oh, that was Gamora. There were more questions his brother needed to answer.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it, greenie" the raccoon muttered as he strapped into the pilot's seat. "Hold onto your hats, we're gettin' outta here".

The ship lurched forward at startling speeds, twisting and turning to avoid what was most likely the Black Order's last attempt at a ranged strike. Loki strongly suspected the Order would let them go. They'd retrieved the tesseract, after all. Thanos wouldn't risk his operations in order to enact revenge. There would be plenty of time to do that once he held all the infinity stones.

"I am Groot" the tree muttered, strapping itself into a seat like the rest of the crew.

"What? No, Groot, it's a figure of speech. What's up with this constant hatred of hats?" the raccoon looked over his shoulder at the tree and dropped the ship down parallel to the mountain slope. The masked man groaned and flipped the controls to his side of the ship. Rocket looked like he was going to argue, then shrugged and reached for the gunner's toggle.

"I am _Groooot_ " the tree sat back with a smug expression, arms crossed.

"I've told ya before, that's not a good reason! No one else thinks hats are a part of someone's head!"

"I have no hat to hold onto. Why would you ask me to do this?" A tattooed brute sat near the back, obviously confused by the conversation. Loki could relate.

"Dude, it's an expression. Lord, I thought we were making progress" the masked man muttered as he dodged another blast from Outrider weaponry. The raccoon whooped in glee, shooting something viciously until it burst apart.

"Boys, focus please" Gamora snapped, a white-fingered grip on the arm of her seat.

"I hate you all" the blue woman…Odin's beard, that was Nebula. Why was Nebula on a ship with Thor, a human, three insufferable aliens, and her hated sister? Not to mention whichever two lifeforms were below the deck. Loki could hear them shouting in alarm as the ship flipped upside-down yet again.

"Are they always this loud?" Loki questioned glancing at his brother.

Thor grinned, "Yes. They remind me of the Avengers, but with the organization of our Revengers. 'Tis a chaotic combination".

Loki crossed his arms and sighed. "Great".

"Come now brother. You love chaos!" Thor bellowed, arm slung around his shoulders as the ship engaged in a dizzying maneuver that shot them above the clouds. Though Loki's stomach was in his throat, they seemed to have left the Order behind them. For now.

"Alright, Asgardian. We got yer brother. I'm not seein' any shiny stones of death on 'im though" the masked man pushed a button on his ear, revealing a disheveled Midgardian. His eyes were a bit crazy and his grin promised mischief. Loki liked him instantly.

"Unfortunately, the Mad Titan acquired the stone before our arrival" Thor suddenly looked upset, fixing Loki with his puppy dog eyes, "What of our people? I felt death, but not nearly as much as it appeared when I arrived".

Loki nodded, grateful that this time, he could honestly tell his brother Asgard survived. "Most of our people got away with Valkyrie. The tesseract should have deposited them in the northern regions of Norway".

"Should have?" Gamora questioned.

"Yes. I'm normally very precise, but I was a bit rushed due to your father's arrival" Loki spat. He wouldn't be questioned by an alcoholic Valkyrie, so he certainly wouldn't be questioned by Thanos's former lackey. Of course, that reasoning was slightly hypocritical, but he elected to ignore that.

"The tricky man bleeds. Shouldn't his blood be inside his body?" a small, bug-like creature questioned, resting a hand on his side. Loki could sense she was an empath and went to push her away, only he could feel her emotions too. Desperate to please, happy but scared out of her mind. Keeping that in mind, he gently removed her hand and gestured to his brother. Odinforce help him, he was getting sentimental. "Thor can patch me up just fine. This will not slow me down".

Loki thought he heard the Midgardian mutter something about stupid aliens and unfair healing factors. "What is the plan?"

"I am Groot. I am Groot. I am GROOT!" the tree stated, emphasizing the last word by pounding its fist into the seat.

"Yes, Groot, though a little more detailed than that" Gamora patted the tree on the arm.

"What did he say?" Thor asked, as if he was used to asking this question. Perhaps he was, if this small creature only spoke in three words.

"Well I like his plan" Rocket drawled, pulling wires from the console much to the distress of the likable human, "Find the rest of the stones. Hide 'em in a really good place. Beat some Titan ass".

Loki shrugged. That was good enough for him. Plans didn't last long in battle, especially against the Mad Titan. "So there are four more stones to find…"

"Three" Nebula interrupted.

Loki raised one eyebrow. Thor just grinned at him, though it was shadowed a bit by grief for the lives lost today. "I did tell you we carried precious cargo, brother".

"Right" Loki said lightly, impressed despite himself.

"The mind stone is on Earth, so we will seek that one next" Gamora stated, pulling up the navigation charts. Horribly outdated things. They still had Eastern Europe labeled as the USSR.

"No. Friend Stark sent us the electronic message containing Loki's location. He will be protecting the Vision. Plus, Vision could wield Mjolnir. That stone is safe for now". Thor crossed his arms, as if daring someone to disagree. Loki had more pressing questions on his mind, "Truly? He could lift your precious hammer?"

"Why are we talking about a hammer?" the tattooed brute inquired. "Are we not seeking stones?"

"Don't worry 'bout it, big guy. They're jest explainin' why this Vision character can hang onto the mind stone for a bit". The human turned to Thor. "So time stone? No one knows for sure where that one's hidin' out. What makes you think we can find it?"

Loki grinned, all teeth and eyes glinting with the promise of battle, "Because I know where it is".

* * *

"Peter?"

"Not now, Ned"

"You're really gonna want to see this"

Peter Parker set down his calculator with a huff and looked out the window. And oh crap. Was that an alien spaceship? It looked like a small Halo. Wait, was the Covenant real? A billow of smoke rose up from Chelsea. Right, friendly neighborhood Spiderman. He should probably deal with this.

"Cover for me, Ned".

"What?" his friend glared at him incredulously. "You're kidding, right? We're on a school bus. Driving down the highway".

"There's an alien ship hovering over New York. No, I'm not kidding Ned!" Peter hissed, snapping the bracelets for his new Spiderman suit. Thank you, Mr. Stark. He glanced around, then opened the window quietly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Crap. MJ. Peter turned around slowly, hands still on the window. Michelle was giving him The Stare. He stuttered, ready with some excuse about needing air but MJ snickered before he could form a complete sentence.

"Just kidding, I don't care". She turned back to her book, apparently done with the world.

Peter looked at Ned with panic, flailing his arms around, trying to get Ned to cover for him. Ned, however, was awfully distracted by the bracelets around Peter's wrists and was silently asking if they were an upgrade. He then proceeded to communicate with his eyes, "What the heck can I do that will make them miss a kid dropping out the window?" to which Peter replied with hand motions that clearly stated, "I don't know, you're the man in the chair!"

Finally, Peter rolled his eyes and levered himself out the window while Ned ran interference. He was pretty sure his friend was faking a heart attack, but whatever, no one was paying attention to him. Except, when he clung to the side of the bus and activated the Spiderman suit, he realized one person _had_ noticed. MJ stared straight at him through her window, eyes wide and a small smirk playing across her face. He froze, unsure what to do, until Michelle made a shooing motion with her hand. He hesitantly waved, which was met with an eye roll while she flipped him the bird. Then MJ got up to help Ned distract the rest of the class. Gosh, she was amazing. And he was going to be in so much trouble when he saw her again. The Stare would certainly make a repeat appearance.

"Peter, if you wish to arrive in Chelsea, you must exit" Karen completed her quick systems check and a complicated HUD appeared. "Swing to that building…now".

Peter complied, a web shooting to the side of a nearby skyscraper as he curved through the air, suit increasing his speed through streamlining and holy crap this suit was amazing. He didn't even get hit by a passing car…not that Karen would have let that happen. But he was usually accident prone like that.

He crawled quickly to the top of the building, peering into the distance. "Karen, give me a route".

The HUD lit up with a complex map, consisting of swings and running and climbing. Peter grinned and leapt off the side of the building, ready to kick some alien ass.

* * *

Tony Stark flew quickly to Chelsea, where Dr. Strange and his monk friend stood outside in the rubble of another old brownstone. Steven nodded to him as he landed, Rhodey following in suit behind. "Umm, Tony, you going to explain what is happening yet?"

"Nope" Tony stated, eyes roaming the sky. Good. Peter wasn't here yet, and the Black Order was a couple minutes late. That would help.

"The Hong Kong sanctum is aware of the coming invasion and is working to enact better defenses for Earth. If we can draw the Titan away, of course". The man fidgeted unconsciously with the Eye of Ago-someone. The time stone. Whatever.

"We can do it. Our team has the mind stone as safe as it can be on Earth. We just need to get the two brutes out of New York City and draw them away".

"Using the time stone?" Wong questioned. "I still do not think this plan is wise".

"It's our best chance, baldy". Tony's HUD finally picked up the incoming Black Order ship. "It's time. Trap ready?"

Strange nodded and drew his shields. Rhodey just stared at them, "Um, Tony?"

"Yeah, yeah, its sorcery hand-wavy stuff. Don't worry about it. Just fire when I tell you to".

"What is my life" Rhodey muttered behind him, but the gatling gun on his shoulder whirled obediently. Good.

"Two targets, War Machine. One with strength to rival the Hulk and one with powers of mental manipulation. We need to hold them here until they see the stone, then trap them and trick them into leaving in their spaceship before we all die". Dr. Strange then turned to Wong to rattle off hand wavy mumbo jumbo. Tony wasn't really paying attention. Rhodey looked at him for confirmation. Kind-of a crappy plan, to be honest, but infinitely better than last time. He nodded reassuringly at his friend anyways.

When the Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian strode up the street, they were ready for them. Rhodey immediately turned his gun on Obsidian, leaving the two sorcerers to walk Maw into their trap. Tony surveyed the scene, his HUD showing a red blip in his peripheral. Spiderman was moving through the city in his new suit. Karen indicated everything was functioning as designed. Good.

Maw screeched in anger as he was caught in their trap. This time it was Cull Obsidian who chose to leave him there in favor of acquiring the time stone. Good ole bad guys. They were so predictable. Tony nodded at Strange, who made a complicated pattern in the air. He didn't hesitate as he flew through it, power levels reaching 300% as he hit the brute with the suit's new and improved unibeam. Next to him, Rhodey attempted to shred the alien to pieces and the sorcerers wrapped tendrils of gold around his limbs. All that effort, and they were barely slowing him down. Cull Obsidian strode purposefully toward the sweating sorcerers, eyes fixed on the time stone around Strange's neck. Tony increased power, ignoring Friday's warnings. Not again. This couldn't happen again. The alien was almost within arm's reach of Strange's necklace, arm outstretched…

And then something hit him with incredible speed from the side, sending him reeling into their trap. Tony quickly cut the unibeam as the two sorcerers went flying, tension from their glowy cords suddenly released. Rhodey hovered in the air, panting through his faceplate but seemingly unharmed. What the hell had happened…

"Hi Mr. Stark!"

The kid. Tony turned around and saw Peter, decked out in the finest Stark Industries had to offer. He could hear the grin in his voice, the punk. "I helped, right? I saw the glowy energy trap thing through this sweet new suit; thank you by the way, Mr. Stark, it's perfect; and the creepy albino alien was hanging out in there so I thought you were probably trying to get the big fish alien in there too. Wait, unless you wanted them separated? Oh gosh, was I not supposed to do that? I'm sorry Mr. Stark…"

This child talked more than he did. There should be an award for that. Tony waved his hand to cut Peter off, "You did good, kid. I just wasn't expecting you here". Because why was he not on the ship?

"Oh. Yeah, I was going for the creepy alien Halo ring but with this new suit I can move so much faster, so I thought I could make it here to help you in time to take care of the ring too!" And Tony had not been anticipating that, but hey. Tony wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Alright kid, let's get to the ring". Tony turned toward Strange, who was already levitating…how? Tony decided he didn't need to know right now. But he would definitely be running some tests later. Rhodey's armor fired up beside him. He grabbed Wong as Tony snagged Spiderman, ignoring his protests about the new suit's capabilities. "This is faster, Spiderman. Let's rock and roll".

They sped through the air, careful to avoid flying debris. New York was in chaos below them, but there wasn't much they could do until they forced this ship back into space. Looked like most of the damage was in Chelsea, though there were aliens flooding into different sections of Manhattan. Harlem seemed to have a force fighting back. Same with Hell's Kitchen. Wait, did that kid have a glowing fist?

Focus up, Tony. Eyes on the prize.

They landed without fanfare on the spinning ring. Peter adjusted the fastest, his feet sticking to the structure, HUD lighting up as Karen analyzed its weaknesses. Friday did the same thing as Tony magnetized his feet. The sorcerers didn't seem to have any issues keeping upright, already searching for an entrance.

"I don't see anything". Peter sounded frustrated. Tony had to agree. This thing was sealed shut.

"There is an empty space here" Wong stated, poking at the metal like it could come alive and swallow them. Oh Lord. Please don't let there be such a thing as living space metal. He literally couldn't deal with that today.

"Oh, it's a door" Wong stated as the 'empty space' opened up and released a bunch of…space Predators?

"Is it just me, or do these things look like the child of the Predator and the alien from Alien?" Peter questioned lightly, sounding slightly nauseous.

"You're not wrong, these things are straight of Hollywood" Tony replied, readying his repulsors.

"What is the Predator?"

"I literally cannot deal with you today" Tony muttered at Wong, who shrugged. The aliens seemed to take that as their cue, streaming forward with their teeth bared. Tony sourly noticed they didn't have any problems walking on the structure. Life was so unfair.

The group decimated the first wave of aliens, learning their teeth were really sharp and their spit was acidic enough to corrode Tony's armor. Not cool. Additionally, they were running out of time. According to Tony's HUD, they had one more minute until the trap failed. It wouldn't take Thanos's lackeys long to find them.

The one second Tony spent worrying about the trap was the moment an alien got past his guard. Suddenly, a tooth was wedged in his left arm joint and he was flying backwards off the ring. He heard Peter shout (really kid, he could fly you know?) and moments later a web stuck to his chest-piece. Tony could feel the fibers strain until they stopped his momentum, right before he flew into some spinning rings of death. Oh. Maybe the kid was onto something. He fired his thrusters, reversing direction so he landed behind Spiderman and punched an alien sneaking up behind the kid.

"Thanks for the save. Watch your back, kid". Peter nodded and leapt in the air, landing on one of the alien's backs and blinding another with his webs. Tony felt a weird tightness and warmth in his chest. Was that pride? Surely not. It's not like he was the kid's dad or something. He just paid for everything and designed everything and made sure Spiderman was safe. Nope, not like family at all.

Honestly, they weren't doing too bad up there. They were holding off the waves of evil aliens, but every time they got near the hatch, they were pushed back. And they needed to make progress, because their trap was open. Maw and Obsidian were on their way.

Suddenly, music blared around them. The alien's screeched, obviously annoyed at the bass solo. Peter frowned beside him, "I didn't know they had Jack White in space".

Tony was equally confused, until a small…yup, that was a spaceship…hovered in the air next to them, guns blazing. A man with a mask dropped out of the ship, followed by a green lady.

"Friday, lock onto them". Because it had been a long day, thank you very much, and Tony wasn't about to trust some random aliens, even if they had great taste in music…

Until Thor jumped out beside them, flanked by…

"Oh _hell_ no" Tony snapped, repulsors back up. "It's nice to see you and all, Thor, but why did you bring your melodramatic brother too? Wait, are you brainwashed?" Because that was Tony's life. He had to check and make sure people weren't brainwashed or under the control of someone with mind wavy powers.

"Less talkin' more blastin'!" A…raccoon…screamed from the ship, bombarding the side of the alien craft with laser blasts. That was it. The time stone had done a number on his mind, and Tony was stuck in some crazy dream while his body wasted away in a coma.

"Friend Stark!" Thor slapped him on the back, nearly sending him face-first into the ship. "We have come to rescue you!"

"We have a plan, since you seem to be doing no damage". Loki flipped a long dagger in his hand and gutted an alien trying to sneak up on the green lady. Another figure launched itself from their ship and landed in a crowd of evil aliens, screaming in another language while ripping them to shreds with two curved blades.

"Loki". Dr. Strange did not look happy to see the Asgardian, his golden whip strangling one alien while Wong conjured a heavy book and beat it on the head. Tony was _done_ trying to understand that monk sorcerer.

"Don't you dare" Loki growled, pointing the dagger at the Sorcerer Supreme. "I'm here to help".

The sorcerer stared at him for a long moment, then shrugged. "Suit yourself. But after this is over, you're going to leave again. _Promptly_ ".

The green woman (and Tony was very much in love with the most amazing woman in the universe, but this alien was objectively very hot) said something in another alien language, to which Tony shrugged. If Friday didn't recognize it, he wasn't going to understand.

"She's askin' if you have the time stone". The masked man landed beside them, guns blasting any alien that got too close. "Loki here said the sorcerer with the floatin' cape has it".

Tony glanced at Thor, who nodded. Okay. These people were at least on their side. For now. "Yeah, we've got it. But we need to get this thing to leave New York alone. Another alien invasion is really bad for real estate".

"Yeah. They just finished fixing the sidewalk by my house" Peter stated mournfully. Everyone stared at him in disbelief before the human alien continued.

"We have a doohickey that could help. It replicates the signal of an infinity stone, at least enough to catch their attention". The man tossed the self-proclaimed "doohickey" up and down in his hand, then dropped it. Thor miraculously stepped on it without breaking the thing, then handed it to the hot green alien. She gave the human a look eerily similar to Natasha's "you're in big trouble Clint Barton" look, then strode off.

"She's gonna find an escape pod. Stick it in there, send it off into space. Y'all can come with us?" The masked man asked, trying to count the number of people here, "I think we can squish all you into the Milano".

"Tony". Rhodey landed next to him, faceplate opening. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, looking at the aliens standing around them. Shaking his head, he apparently elected to ignore their guests and continued, "T'Challa signaled. Thanos has landed in Wakanda. I'm going to help, if you guys have this under control?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah. Do that. I'm hooking Friday up to your suit so that once you kick his butt, you can find us". That was hopelessly positive, but whatever, Tony was going to be optimistic today.

Rhodey nodded in understanding and snapped his faceplate down. He turned to leave, but looked over his shoulder and simply said, "Be careful man. Life would be real boring if you weren't there to make fun of Ross with me". Without waiting for a reply, Rhodey engaged the repulsors and blasted off over the Atlantic.

The green lady walked up to the masked man, chattering in whatever language she spoke. He nodded, then gestured at the rest of them, "Come on, guys. She says the pod is ready to go. We're gonna dock on the ship until it hits the atmosphere. Like the Falcon in the second Star Wars movie. Then head back down to Earth. Their trackers will be focused on space, not the Earth's atmosphere".

"Dude, that's in movie number five, not two" Peter corrected, arms crossed. The human did a double take, "Wait there are five Star Wars movies? Hold that thought, metal spider person. We're gonna need to discuss that".

Dr. Strange glanced at Tony, who shrugged. It's not like he had any better ideas.

"Alright Han Solo, let's go to space".


	11. Bucky Barnes, T'Challa, Natasha Romanoff

**Alright friends, final push here. Countdown to Infinity War is at T-minus 12 hours and the rest of this story is going up. Thanks to all who have followed, favorited, or commented. I appreciate you all!**

 **Wildawg992003: Yes, I must admit I was thinking a bit of the Flash while writing the time stone stuff. What...green skinned shapeshifters...never... ;) Good call on Dr. Strange not being at the Avengers meeting. He was hanging out in New York still, preparing the trap for the Black Order. I'm with you, I love bringing the separate groups together. Thanks so much for commenting!**

 **FavFan: Fury's Super Secret Boy Band is back together for a reunion tour of death, alien invasion part 2, and space. Yay! Peter is one of my favorite characters in the MCU. And one of my favorites to write, if I'm being honest.**

 **Dragonrider1234: Thanks for commenting! Yeah, Steve and Loki are the only two that will remember, the previous due to his super memory and the later because he's got magic and is Asgardian. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**

 **HeartofChaos13: I'm glad you are enjoying the chapters! Heimdall didn't die, he just disappeared like last time. That's one thing that didn't change. The Collector on the other hand is very much dead.**

 **Guest: Thank you! The Avengers could use any help they can get!**

 **Guest: Thank you!**

 **Whovian: I agree, the Guardians interacting with the Avengers is going to be one of the best parts of the movie for sure! Thank you!**

 **Guest: Thank you so much! It is always nice to hear my characterization is on point!**

 **Alright guys, more chapters will be posted in the coming hours. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Song: All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar Ft. SZA**_

T'Challa stepped out of the plane and crossed his arms in the traditional Wakandan greeting. The waiting army of Dora Milaje returned the gesture with an audible snap. Steve and Natasha exited the plane after the King with the rest of the Avengers straggling behind. Bucky slung the strap of his rifle over his shoulder and breathed deeply. He was relieved to be back in Wakanda. There were too many prying eyes in the United States…or anywhere else really. There weren't many places in the world where the Winter Solider could relax.

Shuri stood on the palace steps with the Queen Mother and Scott Lang, who shifted awkwardly behind the women, his loose sweats setting him apart from the royally armored women. Sam Wilson greeted them respectfully, then proceeded to harass the Ant Man without mercy. Barnes approved. Silently, of course. There was no need to encourage the man. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

"Bucky! You're in one piece!" Shuri bopped down the steps and hugged him briefly before conducting a visual inspection of the metal arm.

"Yeah, we barely had to fight at all" Bucky muttered as Shuri stepped back, seemingly pleased with the results. "Don't be such a _ngumama onxungupahko_ , your brainchild is unharmed".

" _Please_. You will be dead a hundred years before that arm so much as rusts" Shuri huffed, clearly offended that he believed her inventions to be mortal. Bucky laughed and bowed in mock apology. The girl just raised her chin higher to conceal her own amusement.

"Come on, princess. Everything can be improved. Isn't that the engineering motto?"

"I am not an engineer, Barnes. I am a genius, which means I am not limited by titles or mottos" Shuri laughed, clearly deciding to forgive his previous faux pas. "Just because something works doesn't mean it cannot be improved" the princess mused, eyeing his arm speculatively. "Perhaps I could finally install that laser I've been discussing".

"I wouldn't say no to a couple slots for knives" Bucky whirled the servos in his beautiful new arm.

"You and your knives. So barbaric. Won't you at least try a trombash?" Shuri activated her communication bracelet and began a systems check on the team's jet.

"How about this? Make me a trombash, and I'll field-test it. Give you some constructive feedback" Bucky reasoned, flicking the girl's braid gently.

"The only feedback you will have is praise and adoration. Prepare to have your life changed". Shuri snapped her screen off, systems check apparently complete. She glanced at Steve, then Bucky, then back again. "Don't worry about coming straight to the lab. Take some time. Talk about the good old days and complain about us youngins". The perpetual snoop dodged his elbow and bounced away, pulling her brother after her. Punk.

Bucky turned to the man in question, who was currently discussing Wakadan security measures with Nakia. Much to Barnes's dismay, she quickly made her excuses when she saw James walking up. "Hey Steve".

His friend turned around, face carefully blank. Bucky hated that face. "James".

"Stop it" he snapped, regretting his tone the instant the words left his mouth. Steve looked down sadly and fiddled with his communication bracelet. Stupid-ass punk looked like a kicked puppy. Made it hard to be righteously angry.

Bucky sighed and rubbed his face, "Crap. Sorry Steve. Just…if you can't bring yourself to call me Bucky, at least say Barnes. Not James. I feel like I'm eight years old and Sister Julie is gettin' on me for burning the soup again".

Steve did a double take, eyes narrowed as if he couldn't believe Bucky was standing in front of him. Which was ridiculous, he'd been trying to get Roger's attention since they met up again in New York. "You remember? You're not…upset?"

"Yes, you punk, I'm freaking _upset_! You won't look at me, much less say my name. I thought we were pals". It absolutely figured that Steven-dumb-ass-Rogers wouldn't leave him alone when he was the Winter Soldier (when he was _killing_ him, _walk away_ Steve) or when he was accused of international terrorism, but kept his distance when Bucky was finally Bucky again. What the hell did he see in Barnes now that scared him more than the Winter Soldier?

"Of course we are! You said you needed space…" Gracious, those puppy dog eyes should be illegal. Bucky could never resist them, and apparently years as the Winter Solider did nothing to increase his tolerance. Bucky's scowl softened. Incrementally, nothing too drastic. He wasn't a pushover.

"Yes, to unfreeze. To put the Winter Solider behind me and rediscover Bucky Barnes. Not a year's worth of avoidance from the one person I remember!" Because really, who was Bucky Barnes without Steve Rogers? "I've asked Nakia to send you invitations more times than I can count". And it killed a small part of him every time Steve's articles appeared with no mention of Bucky or when he was planning to come home next.

"I thought…" Steve hesitated, then shook his head as if convincing himself this was real. "I thought you remembered and didn't want to see me. To bring up the memories like that. You didn't let me know you were awake".

Bucky rolled his eyes, "I was sleeping in a hut in the Wakandan countryside for two of those months. I lived ten miles outside the closest village so that if the Solider came back, I wouldn't hurt the kids. The only person I saw regularly was Shuri". Bucky forced himself to breathe, to remain calm. Getting more upset right now would only push his friend away again, "I wanted you here, Steve. I just…I was barely Bucky Barnes at that point. Your hovering was a bit much. That didn't mean I wanted the complete absence of you".

Steve smiled ruefully. "Sorry, pal. Let's start over. How're you doing, Buck?"

"Not bad" Bucky smirked. Even 70 years and a whole lot of brainwashing later, it was nice to know they could fall back into their friendship once they got their heads out of their asses. "For the end of the world".

Steve chuckled and clasped him on the shoulder, "So it's okay if I hang around? Find some trouble?"

Bucky sighed good naturedly, "Pal, you're the one who brings the trouble. I'm the schmuck who pulls you out every damn time".

"Aww, admit it, Buck. You missed me givin' you hell".

Bucky gave him a small smile. "Yeah pal, I did". He waited for a moment, then added, "Of course, then you called and drug us all to America, where we fought the military and ran away with a robot and an all-powerful space gem to hide from a genocidal dictator and his minions. Now I remember why you were so exasperating".

Steve chuckled, leaning back with his hands on his chest like he did when they were kids. Buck snickered back, pride mingling with amusement. Startling a laugh out of Steve was always an accomplishment, even when they were kids.

"Steve" Wanda walked up from the plane, jacket off and eyes surprisingly bright for someone in the middle of an alien invasion, "We're meeting in the palace to form defensive strategies. I'm assuming you both want to be there".

Steve nodded and the three of them made their way inside the palace, Vision joining them as they crossed the threshold. His hand quickly wound around Wanda's, both of them smiling shyly and watching each other out of the corner of their eyes. And oh yeah, that would be why Wanda was so happy. It was sweet…and also really weird. Bucky didn't even want to know how that would work. Come one, she was basically dating a microwave. A really smart, nice microwave but still electronic and not human. Ugh, don't think about it Barnes. Just pretend he's an alien or something.

The great hall was packed, the Wakandan advisors seated while the Avengers and leaders of the Dora Milaje stood along the walls. Everyone chatted calmly, gesturing to vibranium holographic maps and fingering their weapons. The Queen Mother stood behind the throne and paged through a thick book of what appeared to be Wakandan battle history. T'Challa himself stood in front of the seated councilors, calmly explaining the events of the day. And the past events of tomorrow. Damn it, Bucky was too old for this crap.

"Barnes" Natasha nodded curtly at him, then gestured to a map, "Thoughts on the sniper positions?"

Bucky smiled. It was good to be home. Now, they just had to defend it.

* * *

T'Challa wanted to be anywhere but in this room. He usually had great faith in humanity, but at the moment his council was making him seriously revisit that stance.

"Why should we harbor this robot? It is not among the living. Leave him for the alien and Wakanda will be left alone".

" _He_ is standing right here" Wanda snapped, hand wrapped loosely around Vision's wrist. The Vision himself kept his eyes downcast, as if to divert attention from himself.

"Which is another problem, my liege. Not only are outsiders in our country, they are in our council hall! They are determining our defensive strategy! What is next? They begin to impose trade restrictions?" the River Tribe councilman shook his head, "No. I refuse to accept it. I knew revealing ourselves to the world would be a bad idea. Less than two years later, we are fighting for our home against invaders". 

"From space" Steve interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No offense, but space invaders don't care how involved you are in international politics. They don't respect isolationist policies or sovereign borders. Thanos wants the mind stone. He will stop at nothing to get it. Our concern right now should be protecting it and minimizing collateral damage…"

"Collateral damage?" the councilwoman of the merchant tribe snapped, rising to her feet, "This is our _home!_ You brought this atrocity here and expect _us_ to pay with _our_ lives to protect a trinket!"

"It is not a trinket". Dr. Banner stood slowly, walking to the holotable in the center of the room. "It is one of the most powerful objects in the universe. If Thanos gets it…you don't understand. If we hadn't brought the mind stone here, Thanos would have taken it. He would have collected all six stones. His goal is to wipe out half the universe". Bruce slammed his palm on the table, green seeping into his eyes. "Do not be so foolish to think you can hide from death".

The room erupted into arguments, some between his advisors and others directed at the foreigners in the room. Enough was enough. They had no time for this.

"Do you think me a weak King?" T'Challa asked quietly, pleased when the buzz of conversation died off.

"Of course not, my King" the River Tribe councilman hurriedly assured him. T'Challa would not let him off so easily. Concerns of foreign influence weren't to be taken lightly, but in these circumstances, he was merely being dramatic.

"Do you believe I am so easily manipulated? That I would let _anyone_ tell me how to run my country? How to defend it?"

The councilman shook his head and sat back down. None of the other advisors looked up at him save his mother and Okoye, who looked on with respect.

"Do you lack respect for Ambassador Everett Ross? For my friends, who have fought not only for Wakanda but for the whole world many times?" He let the room sit in silence for a moment before finishing, "They may not hold seats on the council, but they are valued friends of Wakanda. And they are here to help with our defenses, just as we help them keep a weapon of mass destruction out of the hands of a _mutual_ enemy. So enough arguing about who is in the room or why we are here today. We have a country to defend and little time to do it". T'Challa sat back on his throne, fingers steepled. "W'Kabi, how goes the Border Tribe's migration?"

The man sat forward in his chair and answered honestly, "Slowly. Our people can pack and move quickly, but protecting them while moving is complex and time-consuming. Our civilians are half a day from the city. Our army sweeps behind and before, the tail end about a day's journey away".

"We don't have a day" Shuri answered, commandeering the holographic table. "A ring-like structure landed in New York moments ago. There was a surge in energy signatures two hours before that in the Himalayas. This Thanos and his minons are here and on the move. It will not take long for him to figure out where we are. According to my estimates, in twelve hours he will land on Wakandan soil".

T'Challa let that sink in for a moment before inquiring, "What is the ring structure?"

"Troop transport. I think" Shuri said, turning back to her personal holographic display. "I'll let you know if it moves".

T'Challa turned to Everett, "Any word?"

Ross shook his head, "No. The UN is staying solidly out of this one for right now, claiming national sovereignty. No aid for New York, no calls for the Avenger's heads either. The Sokovia Accords haven't even been mentioned. And everyone is scrambling to classify these aliens. Arguments about whether diplomatic solutions should be explored. To speak bluntly, your highness, it's a shit show". The man was clearly perturbed, and T'Challa didn't blame him. Bureaucracy was a nightmare. "On the bright side, they won't be bothering Wakanda or the Avengers. On the downside, there will be no help".

"And the United States?" Sam asked, fingers unconsciously stroking the grip of his holstered pistol.

"Officially, we are considering all options". Ross hesitated for a moment, then sighed and decided to continue. "Sources say they're letting Stark clean up the mess in New York. Turning a blind eye to vigilantes for now, deploying National Guard in New York City. Military is on high alert, essential personnel are being evacuated from potential targets. They're looking for information and waiting to see how this all pans out before making any definitive move. NASA and the FBI are having a field day trying to profile Thanos and his merry band of Outriders, discover weaknesses and all that. Basically, if Stark can't turn back the invasion, we're all screwed. No other military is equipped to deal with this. The Avengers and Wakanda are our best chance". The man sat back down abruptly.

"Alright. We hold Thanos outside the city. If he gets through the barrier, Wakanda will fall". T'Challa stood in front of the map. "M'Baku, do you wish to house your people in the city? It will be well defended".

The large man shook his head, "My people are hidden in the mountains. If this alien can find them up there, then Wakanda and the Earth have fallen. My warriors will aid in the city's defense, of course".

T'Challa nodded his thanks. Before he could continue, Okoye stepped forward.

"My King, might I make a suggestion?"

T'Challa motioned for her to come to the middle, "Please do, General".

Okoye pointed to a glen marked on the map, "We should hold them here. There is enough of a bottleneck that if they want to get to the city, they will have to go through us. We can take the high ground while still being within the range of the city's outer walls if we need to retreat".

T'Challa agreed. It was wise move. He would have said so, but Nakia answered first, "That is a good plan. But we need something to turn the tide". This should be interesting.

"If this Thanos is as driven as you described, Dr. Banner, he will not give up even if we mount a formidable defense. He cares little for his army and will throw them at our walls until they crumble". She turned the holotable to a view of the city, "We should keep the Vision inside the palace, but we should prepare to eliminate this alien's ship as well".

"Make them bleed. Force Thanos out into the open" Natasha smiled wickedly, "It's a good plan".

"Worked well enough during the American Revolution. Force Thanos to our turf on our conditions. Think of Thanos as a colonizer and make him pay for every inch gained in blood". Of course Steven would liken this struggle to the American Revolution, though viewing Thanos as a colonizer was fairly adapt. And something the Wakandan people hated unequivocally, something that could rally the stragglers on the council. Good call, Rogers.

"Did you not hear me?" Dr. Banner sounded exhausted, "He _worships_ death. He isn't a colonizer, he's a crusader. Historically, that's much harder to repel".

"But it's possible" Vision stated, "It has been done".

"And we will do it again" T'Challa took charge, Nakia and Okoye stepping back. "We will leave a small contingent of the Dora Milaje, as well as a portion of each tribe's army, in the city to defend civilians and the mind stone. On the field of battle, the Merchant Tribe and Mining Tribe will take the right flank. The River Tribe and Border Tribe will take the left flank. The Jabari and the House of the Panther will take the middle, along with the Dora Milaje and the friends of Wakanda". He paused for a moment, knowing this decision would be controversial, "Okoye, you will command the right flank. Steve Rogers, you will command the left. I will command from the middle. Shuri is in charge of the city while we are away. Councilmen and councilwomen who stay behind are welcome to give input, but the princess will have the final say. In the meantime, Nakia, Ambassador Ross, Mr. Barton, Mr. Lang, and Ms. Romanoff will devise a strategy to disable the alien ship. Any questions?"

Okoye gave him a look that promised beratement later. She was displeased to be separated from her King and the House of Panther, but thankfully she didn't argue. Of course, the rest of the council was vocal enough for an entire army.

"You are putting _Captain America_ in command of a Wakandan Army?"

"I can believe…"

"…A foreigner…"

"...should use the stone against the aliens…"

"I protest!" the River Tribe councilman stood again, this time jabbing his finger in Steve's chest. The whole contingent of Avengers froze, hands on their weapons and eyes carefully watching the councilman. Barnes moved closer, jaw clenched and hands balled into fists. T'Challa could tell he was seconds from pushing the councilman away, but he controlled himself for the moment. Good man.

"I will not leave my army under the direction of a military leader from a foreign nation…"

"I am not Captain America anymore, sir". Steve said softly, valiantly ignoring the finger on his chest. "What I am is a military veteran, a competent strategist and field commander. Please, allow me to use my strengths to protect your nation and your people. Wakanda has treated me well. Let me return the favor".

The councilman stared at Steve for a moment, then backed up a few steps. He clearly was unhappy, but it seemed he would let the issue go. For now. T'Challa knew this crisis would engender many heated council debates.

"We are done arguing" T'Challa stated coldly, hands clenched into fists. He pointed at his advisors, "Seal off the city. Mount all defenses. And someone get that man a shield". Because he was not sending Steve into battle with just his fists. Shuri nodded at him and slipped away, presumably to fetch the Avenger's weapons.

"We will do this". The Queen Mother stood tall beside her son and stared calmly at the rest of the room. "Battle strategy is important. Learning from history is important. But do not lose sight of why we are here. We are defending our _home_. Yes, use your minds to create the best defense you can. But when you leave this room, remember what land you stand on. Your ancestors bled for this land and now you have the honor of doing the same. Mistakes will be made and plans will fall apart, but your heart _will not yield_. Whether you win or lose, you do it for Wakanda. Let it guide you to victory". She then turned to the Avengers, standing awkwardly around the circle, "And to the friends of Wakanda; you have answered our call. All of you have some connection to this land. But we fight not just for Wakanda today, but for the Earth. Keep your families and your homes in your hearts. We are honored to join in purpose and blood today".

T'Challa was humbled yet again by his mother. She could take a room of scared and confrontational people and bring them together. With her words on their minds, his advisors and military commanders left the room with hope. That was the best he could wish for right now.

* * *

Natasha snapped her Widow's Bites to her wrists, satisfaction rushing through her as they whirled to life. 

"You know you're terrifying, right?"

Natasha merely grinned at Bruce, who stood to the side repairing the Hulkbuster Armor. Thanos's warship had arrive on the outskirts of Wakanda an hour ago, Rhodey trailing behind.

 _"Long story short, Tony and the rest of the Avengers are going up into space with some friendly aliens and Thor and Loki. They hoped to lure the Mad Titan away from Earth with the time stone, but seems he's more interested in the mind stone at the moment. Friday is keeping me updated. In the meantime, Tony sent a gift". Rhodey had pressed a button on his armor and a sleek cocoon of metal floated down behind him. "He thought the Hulkbuster might come in handy"._

Rhodey had planned on using the armor himself, but Shuri took one look at the thing and claimed it. "Just because I am staying in the city does not mean I cannot fight. I'll control it from here. Ross can take over if I have to tend to official business". She would not budge, but to be honest no one was really arguing with her. Natasha knew better than anyone how dangerous Shuri could be, but her innocence and cheer raised protective instincts from Wakandans and Avengers alike.

As one of the original creators of the Hulkbuster armor, Bruce took charge of the necessary repairs. Natasha knew he appreciated the physical activity, something to keep him calm before he gave the Hulk the reins.

"Are we okay?"

It was hard to startle Natasha, but Bruce's voice almost made her jump. Almost. She was out of practice, not sloppy.

Were they okay? It was a simple question, one that encompassed a lot of hurt and confusion. Natasha looked over her shoulder, smiling softly at the doctor. "I don't know" she answered truthfully, "When this is over, we need to chat. We may not walk away from that conversation and pick up where we left off. But as friends? Or teammates? Yeah Bruce, we're okay".

The doctor nodded, looking slightly disappointed but not surprised, "That's more than fair, Natasha".

"Bruce?" Steve stood awkwardly on the outskirts of the courtyard, hands rubbing vibranium gauntlets on his arms. Looks like Shuri had found him two shields. "It's time".

Bruce turned back to her, a genuine smile on his face, "I guess this is goodbye then?"

"No you dork. No goodbyes today. Kick some alien ass for me, will you?" Natasha gave him a warm smile. She then turned to Steve and surprised him with a quick hug. "Be careful, _Solnishka_ ".

" _Da, mam_ " Steve replied with a huff, but he was pleased. She could tell.

The two men walked to the palace, chatting about space and infinity stones. Clint dropped to the ground behind her, apparently deciding to join the world below for once. "You think this will work?"

"If any group of people can defend Wakanda against a space invasion, it's them" Natasha murmured noncommittally.

"That's not what I asked, Tash". Damn it, Barton.

"No. This plan will not work". Natasha allowed the corner of her mouth to curve into a smirk, "That's why we're here. To hit them where it hurts and pull our team's ass out of the fire".

Clint nodded, eyes gleaming with determination. "Then let's get to it".


	12. Battle of Wakanda

**UPDATE: This chapter is finished now...yay! I also went back and edited chapters 6-11. Nothing changed in the plot line, merely fixed some grammar and flow issues. I will be finishing chapters 13 and 14 sometime this summer, so be on the lookout for that. Otherwise, enjoy! And thanks for still reading, even after Infinity War dropped!**

* * *

 **Hey guys. So, time management isn't my thing apparently. Because there is no way this is getting done by the time I go to the movie tonight. So. This is the plan:**

 **1\. I'm posting this partial chapter unedited.**

 **2\. I'm posting all the chapters with summaries of what is going to happen. I'm doing this because i don't want this story's arc to change after I go see the movie.**

 **3\. I'm posting the full, completed final chapter, which I have had written for about two months now.**

 **3\. After finals end, I'll go back and edit/actually write the chapters.**

 **So if you are going to read this after you see Avengers: Infinity War, then you might want to stop about half way down this page. I'll give a warning. Otherwise, you can at least get gist of the completed story. I'm sorry about this, but life doesn't want to slow down enough for me to finish this story!**

* * *

 ** _Song: Pray for Me by Kendrick Lamar Ft. The Weekend_**

" _Yibambe amandala!"_

 _"Yibambe amadala!"_

 _"Yibambe amadala!"_ Steve added his voice to the crashing chant. Their army stood in the glen Okoye had selected, each section in position. Below them, black forms streamed from jagged landing crafts embedded in the Wakandan dirt. Whatever those Outriders were, it was clear to Steve they weren't humanoid.

T'Challa crossed his arms crisply and the army fell silent. Sensing the energy change, the horde of aliens hesitated. The King stood still and allowed the echoes to fade before he lifted his chin, then brought it down sharply. At his movement, Okoye and Steve brought their arms up with an audible snap, the rest of the army following in suit. Steve could see the Black Panther breathe deeply, focusing himself.

"Wakanda ngonaphakade!"

" _Wakanda ngonaphakade!"_

T'Challa broke the salute and sprinted down the hill, mask forming over his face. That was the signal. Steve did the same, shields snapping into place as he brought his arms down. His contingent of the army followed and the Wakandan war cry shook the valley.

The leader of the Border Tribe, W'Kabi, ran just behind Steve on his right. The Dora Milaje assigned to him, Ayo, ran on Steve's left. Behind him, the River Tribe and the Border Tribe lofted a wide variety of vibranium weapons. Steve wasn't even within striking distance of the enemy when the first Wakandan weapon was loosed, a kpinga embedding itself in one of the alien's foreheads. Neither line flinched as they met with snarls and the clash of steel.

It was hard to get any sort of perspective when fighting in a battle, but that was Steve's job. He clocked the Avengers kicking butt and taking names to his right as he drove his left gauntlet shield into an alien's chest and impaled another with the three sharp points on his right gauntlet. Hulk screamed in fury, mouth full of Outrider and a pile bodies strewn at his feet. Wanda protected the army the best she could, sending Outriders flying around them. Bucky's metal arm whirred as it smashed into enemy, sniper-rifle slung over his shoulder while his flesh arm wielded a curved blade. T'Challa himself was a blur of motion, leaping from one Outrider to the next. Every once in a while, an explosion of purple would throw any alien in the King's vicinity several feet away. Sam and Rhodey dive-bombed the Outriders from above while the HulkBuster armor systematically worked its way toward the landing craft, Shuri searching for weaknesses in the alien technology. Steve found himself looking for the people who weren't there. For Thor, bellowing and betting with the Hulk. For Vision, constantly quoting the odds and literally flying through the enemy. For Tony, wrapped in red and gold, snarking while he blew things up. Even for the Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Scott, though he knew they had their own roles to play in this battle.

They weren't quite together again, but they were still the Avengers. Every one of them had a job to do and a part to play. Steve just hoped their parts wouldn't end in tragedy. He'd like to see all the Avengers together once more.

The left and right flanks herded the aliens toward the middle of the field. Steve barked out a few orders, shifting his army into position. They were the pinchers, squeezing the left flank toward the middle, killing as many as they possibly could on their way. Of course, the aliens were none to helpful with that.

"Uncedo! Sinfuna uncedo!" a man from the River Tribe called on his left. Steve didn't hesitate, leaving his current foe to the highly capable Ayo. He slid under an alien, slicing its hamstrings as he went. A small leap and another downed enemy later, he slammed into the Outriders surrounding the River tribe warriors. They leapt into action and together they eliminated the aliens with breathtaking efficiency. Steve felt more alive than he had in a long time, sweat dripping down his face and dual shields downing enemies with extreme prejudice. The aliens were more difficult opponents than the Chitauri had been, with sharp teeth and corroding saliva. But he had an army at his back and the Avengers nearby.

His optimism continued as they successfully drove the swarm of Outriders toward the middle of the glen. As soon as they entered the kill-box, Wakandan jets used highly precise vibranium machine guns to mow down the Outriders in droves.

That was where their luck ended. Steve quickly discovered that for every alien they downed, three more took their place as the landing craft spewed a seemingly infinite number of black creatures onto the trampled grass. Steve's optimism began to flag. This too was familiar. Stuck on a field with an army to lead, faced with impossible odds.

"Steve? You seeing this?" Bucky's voice crackled over his comm as Steve kicked a boot-shaped dent in an alien's chest. He turned his focus to the middle of the valley, where one of the landing crafts slowly split down the middle. And in the open space was Thanos himself, gauntlet shining blue and purple. He raised his fist, smashing it toward the ground in an aborted motion.

Nothing happened for a second. Steve stood motionless for precious seconds, waiting. As soon as he took a breath of relief, it happened. The ground beneath him shook violently as a portal appeared from above. And out of that portal…

Steve dove, feeling something scrape across his back as he fell. He instantly twisted, rolling into a summersault and bouncing to his feet. He grabbed a warrior from the Border Tribe, pulling him along as metal, concrete, and rubble fell from the sky onto their army. He passed a few Outriders as he ran, squashed like bugs by a colorful piece of concrete. Steve continued to run toward safety, faltering as he read the words precisely painted on the chunks of debris.

 _Madison Square Garden Subway Station_

New York. This was rubble from the attack in New York. His inner Tony Stark muttered, "Way to repurpose". Thoughts of New York vanished as quickly as they came when he pulled another warrior to their feet, ignoring her mangled leg in favor of dragging her to relative safety.

The rest of his left flank had gathered in a small bunch of trees on their side of the battlefield. About half of them were relatively unharmed, while another fourth of their army was in various states of injured. The other fourth…

Steve looked back out onto the battlefield. His flank was hit the worst, though the right was also dodging debris. In the middle, the Avengers covered their army's retreat. Near the enemy's ship, Thanos floated to the ground, Black Order dropping next to him. Based on Bruce's briefing, there were two members missing; Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian. The two in New York City, according to Rhodey. Good. The other Avenger's ruse kept them off Earth for the time being. Wakanda's forces were already overwhelmed; the last thing they needed were two more foes.

Steve glanced at the field, tracking the players. He didn't view soldiers as pieces on a board as some generals did. It was distasteful and often ineffective. But right now, he needed the objectivity. His heavy hitters were all in the middle, intact but about to be backed between a rock and a hard place. The other pieces were scattered in the danger zone. The cold, calculated part of him said he needed to leave the wounded behind. But Steve wasn't going to leave anyone to suffer at the hands of the Outriders.

Alright. Enough thinking. Time to move, soldier.

He turned to W'Kabi, whose leg was propped up on a tree trunk. It looked like a piece of rebar had pierced his calf, though it had since been removed. "W'Kabi, send the wounded through the trees until they hit the protective barrier. The rest of your warriors should move up the hill and meet with T'Challa's section of the army. We need to join forces and regroup".

W'Kabi stared at him, eyes wide, "Our army was just defeated by falling debris. What happens when this alien decides he wants to do more than drop concrete on us? How can we stand against that kind of power?"

Steve grabbed the man by his Basotho blanket and pulled him up so they were standing eye to eye. "When you get knocked down, do you sit in the dirt and cry that life is unfair?" The man glared at him, half-heartedly struggling away. Steve shook him a little, "No. You get back up, stare down the enemy, and say, "I can do this all day". What happened to Wakanda forever?"

W'Kabi slumped, standing on his own two feet but carefully not looking at Steve. "We have lost so much already. Wakanda is strong, but it is not invincible".

"No one is. But what is the other option? To run and hide? To let evil overrun Wakanda and destroy the world? We will stand together, W'Kabi. To whatever end".

W'Kabi nodded, "If we are to end…it will be in a clash of strength and honor. It will be on our own terms". The man shook his head in wonder, "Perhaps you are not so bad after all, colonizer. You have the soul of a warrior chieftain".

Steve shook his head and clapped the man on the shoulder, "Thank you, W'Kabi. Now your men need you. Lead them".

"What will you be doing?" the man asked, grabbing his spear and moving toward the rest of the Border and River Tribes.

"I'll be protecting the flank".

W'Kabi nodded grimly and shook Steve's hand. "Good luck, _ngokubanzi_. See you on the other side". He shouted something in Wakandan and the wounded moved back toward the city while the army rushed toward their King.

"Well that was dramatic" Steve whirled around at the unexpected voice, only to find Ayo standing behind him, picking her nails with the tip of her spear.

"You should join with T'Challa and Okoye" Steve moved further down the hill, eyes searching for any lingering threats on their flank.

"I have one job to do, _umntu oyimfama._ Keep you alive". The woman glared at him, eyes unyielding. "A job which is unsurprisingly difficult. You have no sense of self-preservation, _ngokubanzi"_.

"You're not the first one to tell me that" Steve muttered petulantly, sighing in surrender. The Dora Milaje were not to be argued with. "You're not obligated to stay with me, though an extra pair of eyes couldn't hurt".

Ayo smirked in triumph, casually spinning her spear in one hand. "Glad to be of service".

Steve gazed across the battlefield. He could see no one left alive on the field. Okoye and the right flank had already joined T'Challa's group on the hill. The blue-haired woman and man with the double-bladed axe fought the Avengers as they covered the army's flank. Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive. Wanda shoved Proxima away, eyes glowing and hands outstretched. Rhodey's repulsor blasts harassed Glaive, who found himself in a deadly dance with the King of Wakanda. Sam swooped in from above, dropping two aliens on top of Proxima Midnight while Bucky shot the falling Outriders. They were dead before they hit the ground. Shuri's Hulkbuster stood resolutely by Okoye, blasting anything that drew near her while the woman joined T'Challa's battle against Glaive. The Hulk raged, surrounded by a crowd of Outriders. Of course, there was also a knee-deep pile of dead aliens nearby, so Steve had no doubt the big guy could take care of himself. He did a mental headcount. There was one person missing.

Where was Thanos?

The snap of a tree-branch was the only warning he had before he flew back, splitting a tree in half as he fell to the ground. Ayo screamed a challenge and launched herself at the Titan. Thanos grimaced as her spear whistled past his face, then picked her up and threw her into the field of debris. Steve pulled a few long slivers of bark out of his shoulder and arm before standing up. He reacted just in time, dodging the Mad Titan's first blow and catching the next one. His body ached as he held the infinity gauntlet above him, pushing with all his might. He couldn't hold on for long. His body was literally tearing, the gauntlet above him curling into a fist…

And then Thanos flinched, turning to his left. That was his chance. Steve pushed up on the gauntlet with all his strength, planking in the air as he drove his feet into the Titan's stomach and pulled. He fell to the ground, but that was okay. Because while Bucky Barnes screamed profanity and threw his trombash at the most powerful tyrant in the universe, Steve wrenched the infinity gauntlet off Thanos's hand. Glittering metal flew through the air and landed in the bushes a few feet away, temporarily obscured from view. The alien stared at Steve incredulously. That moment of hesitation gave Steve all the time he needed.

"Falcon, I need you. T'Challa, you should regroup inside the city's shield. Avengers, push them back".

He broke into a sprint, counting on Barnes to watch his back he dashed toward the golden glove. He heard the vibranium arm whirl to life as Bucky punched and stabbed at the Titan, trying to slow him down for just long enough. Another voice joined the fray as Ayo aided Bucky, spear swinging whenever Barnes faltered. Steve snatched the glove, which was much heavier than it looked, and kept running. He didn't even try to put it on. He wasn't going to waste valuable time figuring out how the dang thing worked.

A weight slammed into him from behind, causing him to sprawl and lose his grip on the gauntlet. The weight moved, but Steve was ready, shields out and moving as he rolled over. The left shield slammed into the Titan's face while the right chopped into the Titan's windpipe. While he recovered his breath, Falcon flew overhead. Steve launched himself at the gauntlet, throwing it up just far enough…

Sam snatched the prize and flew toward Wakanda, faster than he ever had before, but Steve had underestimated Thanos. The man roared and launched himself from the ground like the Hulk, ripping Sam's wings off his back and replacing the gauntlet on his hand. Steve rushed for Sam, Bucky and Ayo covering them while waiting for Sam's parachute to land him on the field. By the time they had regrouped…

Thanos was gone.

* * *

Vision felt the air shift seconds before the portal opened. Something wicked this way comes.

The Dora Milaje assigned to him instantly intervened, attempting to drive the infuriated Titan back with their spears. It didn't matter. The tyrant clenched his fist and the warriors went flying, skin sizzling from the power stone's blast.

Vision slipped through the floor and brought the mind stone to life, transforming back into his traditional green-and-yellow appearance. Thanos crashed through the ceiling and attempted to grab the android by the throat. He quickly changed his density, allowing the Titan's hand to pass right through him and prepared to do so again as the gauntleted fist careened toward his face…

And suddenly he was lying on the ground, trapped by a massive foot. His face smarted and sparked. A miniscule jaw movement told Vision his left cheek's exoskeleton was crushed. The gauntlet. It had interfered with his density-shifting operations. Fascinating.

It was less fascinating when Thanos slammed his head repeatedly into the floor.

"I was determined to enjoy rebalancing the universe" Thanos sneered, hands scrambling at Vision's forehead, "To give my lady Death a show worth the thousand year wait. But I grow bored stringing out the lives of insects like you. I have indulged the antics of heroes for far too long. Your time is over and I will take what is rightfully mine!"

Vision screamed as Thanos clawed at the mind stone. He felt the stone recognize the force that sought to take it, felt its allegiance shift and its efforts begin to work against him. He fought it, ignoring Thanos's attack in a last-ditch attempt to keep the mind stone from his grasp. A familiar force grounded him, tried to keep him steady while he fought. But the six elements of the universe were never meant to be separate. The infinity stones wanted to join together with the infinity gauntlet. And woe to him who gets in their way.

Earth's novels and movies frequently suggested world would go black around the edges before their life expired. Vision's data suggested otherwise. One minute, Vision was pushing back against the mind stone, desperately clinging to its energy. The next…

Nothing.

* * *

"Falcon, I need you. T'Challa, you should regroup inside the city's shield. Avengers, push them back".

Steve's voice crackled over the comms, tight with worry and exertion. Wanda couldn't help but sigh in relief. When the remains of the left flank arrived without Rogers, the Avengers had feared the worst. James had run off toward the trees as soon as the left flank arrived, desperate to find his friend and, "keep him from doing anything more dumb than usual".

At Steve's message, Falcon pushed off from the ground and sped to the cluster of trees on the left flank. With Falcon and James gone to help Steve, the Hulk stepped in and was currently attempting to rip Proxima Midnight apart. Wanda moved back a few paces. It was better to not be in the middle of that.

Unfortunately, she retreated into an Outrider. Wanda spun, her body moving before her mind could process anything to kick the alien in the jaw, then mentally threw it into an Outrider harassing Okoye. The general nodded in thanks before jumping back into battle with Corvus Glaive. Wanda turned her attention back to Proxima Midnight, who was doing surprisingly well against the Hulk. She wasn't winning…but she certainly wasn't losing either. And that was impressive.

The Wakandan army slowly backed up the hill, retreating to the safety of the city's shield. Wanda helped where she could, protecting the vulnerable sides of their formation with her powers.

"What the hell…" Rhodey's voice crackled over the comms. Wanda swiveled around, searching for the cause of distress.

There. She blinked in disbelief as Thanos leapt from the ground and tackled Sam in the air, forcing him into a crash-landing. The group instinctively moved to help him, but they were effectively pinned down by the aliens.

"Wilson. Wilson, report!" Natasha's voice crackled over the comms. "Sam, there was a massive energy surge near your location. Rogers, Barnes. Please, report".

Wanda held her breath, distractedly blocking a gaggle of Outriders from sneaking behind the army.

"…Fine down here…retreat…gone…stones" Steve's voice crackled over the comms, distorted by static and a constant hissing sound.

"Repeat, Rogers" Natasha's voice was uncharacteristically tight.

"Cool your jets, _маленький паук_ , we're fine down here. Few nasty bruises and Sammy's moanin' about Redwing's sensors, but we're all accounted for. You focus on dealing with the enemy ship" James' voice cut through the radio chatter with ease. Everyone took a sigh of relief, until he added, " _дерьмо_ , where the hell is he, Steve?"

There was quite a bit of background chatter, which included a fair number of Russian expletives and a very strong Brooklyn accent. Finally, James patched back through, "Alright, so Thanos is in the wind. That power surge? The space stone doin' its thing. One guess where he's gonna go".

Wanda was moving before James had finished, hands flicking at the ground as she flew through the air toward city. She cleared the rest of the army and started to sprint through the barrier…

And stopped. The world slowed around her. Outriders slogged through the grass and Wakandan spears caught the sun on their tips. T'Challa was turning around, eyes slowly closing and opening again. A strange ringing sound filled her ears as the wind glacially pushed back her hair.

Wanda heard more than felt her exhale, slow and steady. The rest of the world narrowed, her powers focusing on something close yet very far away. The mind stone. It screeched in agony, desperately clinging to the infinity gauntlet that was oh so very near. She could feel the other stones eagerly awaiting the arrival of their sibling, the Titan's satisfaction and impatience. But she didn't care about those. She only cared about the fragile mind, still relatively young and naïve, clinging to the stone as if its very existence depended on it. She knew what was going to happen before it occurred. There was no time and there were no options. Except one.

Wanda let herself sink deeper into Vision's mind. She felt his pain, his desperation, his fear. Though he would likely never know, she gathered him in her arms and let his head lay on her shoulder. Wanda softly hummed a lullaby from her childhood in Sokovia, one with a lilting melody in a minor key. And then… He was gone.

The world came rushing back, full of noise and color and pain. Wanda stood shakily, chilled and feverish at the same time. Her mind took a moment to snap back to the present, but once it did, she could feel the hole in her chest. Like someone had taken a melon baller and scooped out her heart.

 _"Wanda. If you stay here, you'll die"._

 _She curled her fingers, red light seeping from them._

 _"I just did. You know how it felt?"_

 _A heavy sphere of metal sat in her hand, leaking oil and fluid onto her crimson fingers._

 _"It felt like that"._

Someone was screaming, a heart-wrenching sound. The Avengers stared and Natasha demanded an update on the comms. Wanda's knees gave out and she landed in the trampled soil. She cried out once, lip quivering, eyes blurring. Someone shook her shoulder, attempted to move her inside the barrier. Someone else asked what happened, asked where her injury was. Did they not know?

Someone scooped her up and carried her, running across the grass with unparalleled speed. Steve. He smelled like blood and metal too. She wondered if he'd ever held a heart in his hands. Steve's knowing eyes met hers when she looked up, dazed and dizzy. He smiled crookedly, eyebrows furrowed and the beginnings of rage and defeat lingering in his eyes.

She was suddenly sitting on the ground, Okoye and the Hulk next to her. The invading army was stuck beyond the wall, trampling each other in their quest to get through. Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive stood in the front, smirking knowingly at the Avengers and the Wakandans. And that? That was just too much. But Wanda might have restrained herself, for the sake of her friends, if Thanos hadn't chosen that moment to appear.

The purple bastard walked nonchalantly through glowing portal into the fray. He dragged something heavy behind him by the scruff, face fixed in a patronizing look of triumph. Wanda could hear the others reacting to the sight of Vision's body thrown in front of them, but she didn't understand why. He'd been dead for ages now. The body meant very little. It was the black hole where his mind had shone like the sun that was devastating.

Thanos gloated and gestured to the body. Whatever he said must have been rude, because Sam and James had to physically hold Steve back. Wanda didn't care. Words meant nothing when she could see his mind. And his mind? That was enough to push her over the edge.

She didn't realize she was moving until her finger trailed the barrier, eyes on Vision's body. Thanos spoke to her, as did the Avengers and Clint on the comms. But she was focused. Thanos was the light at the end of the tunnel, and she was there to ensure it never shone again.

"Wanda, no!" Sam called from behind her. "Stay back! It's not safe beyond the wall!"

Thanos, the bastard still looked smug, as if no one could touch him. Well, someone had to wipe the smile off his face. And look at her. She was first in line.

Wanda called on her anger, her pain, her loss. She brought to mind her training. Closed her eyes. Took one step back from the barrier. Breathed.

 _I don't want to be here._

 _I'm not here._

 _I'm there._

 _In front of him._

 _I'm in front of him._

 _And I'm going to make him bleed._

Her eyes snapped open, flicking up to meet the Titan's. He blinked once, eyes comically wide before he recovered. Wanda merely tilted her head and stared up at him.

"What do you possibly hope to do against a god, child?"

Wanda let a mockery of a smile grace her face as her finger trailed down the side of the Titan's face, "I see someone scored a hit on you". She let her gaze turn to his back, where a chink of his armor was missing, "More than one. You bleed, Titan. And you know what they say. If you can make god bleed..."

She thrust her hand at the ground, fingers splayed. The ring of Outriders that'd formed around her suddenly exploded outward into dust. They were…irrelevant. Her mind discounted them, therefore they didn't exist. Her eyes glowed red as Thanos curled the gauntlet into a fist.

She could hear the Avengers passing through the barrier again behind her, desperate to avenge their comrade's death and protect her. Wanda trusted them to watch her back as she focused on the evil before her.

 _I want his blood on my hands._

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Hawkeye airlines. My name is Clint, and I will be your captain today. Our flight time will be two minutes. We will be flying really freaking high and stupidly fast. Stow your tables and turn your devices to airplane mode, boys and girls. You will be dumped out of the plane upon arrival. Thank you".

"Aren't you the co-pilot?" Scott asked, fastening his seatbelt next to Natasha.

"Hey, I'm the only pilot in this plane, so if I want to be captain, I'm gonna be captain". Clint scoffed and toggled a few controls. He could hear the ground battle raging in his ear as the plane slowly rose out of its hanger.

"Well, I'm controlling the plane so technically, I think I'm the captain" Everett Ross's voice rang through the jet as his hologram appeared in the pilot's seat. The man hesitated, looking almost uncomfortable. "Look, Barton, I don't know you very well, but your friend just died and the rest of the world is close behind. Might be time to focus up".

"He's deflecting. Let him. It's best for everyone" Natasha ground out, snapping her widow's bites around her wrists. "Sound off".

"Lang good to go".

"Clint Barton is ready to rock and roll" Clint tapped his ear piece a few times, then returned to stroking the fletching of his arrows. He had two quivers. Plenty to complete the mission and put one or two in that purple bastard's brain.

Nakia returned from securing the payload and slipped into the seat next to Natasha. "I copy".

"I am on standby" Shuri's voice crackled over the comms, followed by a frustrated grunt. "Let me know if you need me and I'll turn the Hulkbuster on autopilot".

"It has autopilot?" Lang asked, sounding awed.

"It does now". Shuri sounded proud, and for good reason. No one else could have rigged up an autopilot function for an unfamiliar suit of armor in an hour.

"Ross, you ready?" Natasha pulled them back on-track per usual.

"On your command".

Natasha looked at Clint, then inclined her head. Thank you Natasha.

Clint quickly signed, _"You know just what to get a guy_ " to Natasha before yelling, "Punch it Chewie!"

"Gosh I hate you" Ross muttered. "Three. Two. One!"

The jet shot straight into the sky, gaining momentum at a pace far more rapid than anything Clint had ever experienced. And he had experienced a lot. He suspected their ascent was more like a space shuttle taking off than a plane. "You're lucky you can't feel this, Ross".

"I'm in the equivalent of a motion simulator, Barton. I can feel most of it" Ross's voice was strained as he continually pulled up on the joystick. "T-minus one minute".

"Copy" Clint flipped a switch, diverting more power to the engines. "Green lights from here, boss".

"Guys? My brains are squishing and sloshing. Please tell me we're almost there. I'm not supposed to puke in the helmet". Clint could swear Scott was green even with the suit on.

"Hold it together, Scott. It's almost time" Nakia's voice was far more soothing than anything Clint would have said.

"Thirty seconds, Barton. Everyone lock and load, things are about to get interesting". Ross glanced at Scott, who shakily unbuckled himself and stumbled to the back of the jet.

"Remember, you need to drop the tech first. Otherwise, you'll splat onto the shield like bugs" Shuri crackled over the comms. "Then go".

"Copy that. Fifteen seconds Scott".

"Copy, Ross. Package ready to drop".

Ross hesitated for a moment, eyes scanning the screens blinking at him. "Flipping in three, two, one". Ross jammed his hand down on the joystick while Clint reversed the thrusters. The jet went from a hard acceleration upward to a sudden downward fall. Ross floored it, allowing the jet to pick up speed until it reached the point of maximum acceleration. "Now Scott!"

Ant Man (And wow what a name. Maybe Clint should change his codename to Arrow Guy. These new kids _had_ to have a gimmick) dropped a circular disk about the size of a weight plate out of the plane. The man then pulled himself back to his seat, almost missing and accidently kicking where Ross's head would have been. By the time Scott was situated in his seat with some help from Natasha, the screen was prompting Clint them to activate the package. "Scotty?"

"Got it!" The Ant Man pressed a button on his suit. The corresponding Pym Particle Disks strapped to the package engaged, causing the small piece of tech to expand into the string of electric nets Shuri had outfitted using the information gathered with the Hulkbuster. The net hit the impenetrable barrier surrounding the enemy's ships. Upon contact, it expanded, weakening the power source for a few precious seconds.

"Eject!" Ross screamed, then hit one more button on the consol. The large black boxes Nakia had loaded into the back began to beep simultaneously. Natasha stood, grabbing Scott and Nakia. She quickly looped a cord through the hooks on their belts, then gestured at Clint. Right. Time to move, Barton.

He flipped the toggles into ready position and nodded once at Everett. The man's hologram returned the nod, then focused on piloting the jet. Hawkeye carefully made his way to the other three by the jet's side door, clipping himself to the cord connecting them.

"You know, I'm not sure I like this plan". Scott's voice was the last thing Clint heard before Natasha pushed them all out of the plane, sending them into a desperate free-fall. Clint and Natasha held the group together as the wind tried its best to blow them off-course. Clint chuckled to himself. It would take more than a bit of wind to best the Avengers.

The plane beneath them hit the barrier, exploding brilliantly. But instead of bouncing off, Shuri's nets allowed it to burn through the barrier. The resulting chain reaction cracked the shell like an egg, with a hole right at the top. Where the four Avengers were falling through.

Clint felt the fabric on his leg rip as he barely cleared the sides of their entry point. Scott screamed as Nakia threw a set of Kimoyo beads at the space beneath them. Suddenly, they were floating, the air around them zero-g. Clint loved Wakanda.

Nakia switched the beads on and off, lowering them jaggedly toward the ship beneath them. They couldn't land on the ground, or they would be overrun with Outriders before they could say bullocks. So they needed to land on top of the ship. While free falling through the air. Easier said than done.

"Hawk! You are up" Nakia yelled, letting them fall again and then starting up the beads to catch them. Clint quickly retrieved his bow from his back and strung it, which was extremely hard to do in zero-g thank you very much Nat stop making that face. His fingers immediately sought out the correct fletching and nocked the grappling arrow. In one smooth motion he released it, connecting with the peak of the enemy's landing craft. Clint swiftly clipped the tether to his belt.

"Good to go".

"Releasing…now".

Gravity appeared again, but this time, the tether pulled them from the waist. The group swung like a pendulum toward the side of the landing craft. Clint could see the cold metal rapidly approaching his face. "Um Nat? Any minute now!"

Natasha grunted in annoyance as she leveled the small adapted pistol. She fired right before Clint's head connected with the ship, releasing a Wakandanized version of SHIELD's magic window. Instead of giving the user a glimpse into what was happening on the other side of the wall, it created a temporary portal to the other side. So instead of breaking his face, Clint swung through and kicked an unfortunately placed Outrider in the gut. Clint quickly detached from the tether. Their team landed on the floor while Clint used the crouched body of his first target as a springboard to reach the next. One knife and a widow's bite later, the two Outriders were history.

"Shuri, we're on the top floor. Sending you data now" Nakia pulled yet another doodad out of her armor and scanned the control room they had landed in.

"You were right, Shuri. Their controls are at the top" Natasha praised, reaching beneath one of the consoles. "I don't recognize any of this technology, but we definitely landed in something important".

"Hold on. I'm going to pass the Hulkbuster to Ross". Clint could hear a muffled protest from the man in the background. Poor sod. Nakia's Kimoyo beads pinged and Shuri's hologram appeared. "Alright, let's take a look".

The girl's holograph rushed around the room, peering under the consoles. "Interesting. Without more time, I can't figure out how this thing functions. But that panel right there? That's the circuit breaker. If the goal is merely to prevent it from taking off, we should be able to reverse the energy's polarity and cause a chain reaction in whatever core powers this thing".

"Let me guess? That's gonna take the whole thing up in flames?" Clint was fine with that, as long as they weren't there when it happened. "How long would we have to get out? And can you talk us through it?"

"About three minutes, depending on what kind of power source they're using" Scott stated before Shuri could answer. Everyone looked at him in shock. The man just looked annoyed, "What? Come on guys, I have my masters in electrical engineering. I know how to reverse the polarity on this bad boy".

"He is correct" Shuri moved on gracefully. "That isn't enough time to fight your way down an unfamiliar ship and get out of the blast range before it blows".

"We don't need to be outside the blast range" Natasha stated, peering out their magic window. "The barrier may be cracked but it will hold some of the energy in. We'd be fine as long as we stay away from the cracks".

"Trapping that much heat inside the shell is dangerous" Shuri warned, fingers flying on an unseen keyboard. "The hole up top will help with ventilation, but the pressure and heat will build until it has incinerated the entire ship. Then it will explode outward, sending shards of the shield into the area around it. I cannot estimate what the secondary blast radius will be".

"Assume at least a mile" Scott muttered, head stuck in a hole he'd cut in the wall. "To be completely safe from the heat, smoke, shards of the shield, and whatever chemicals they used in the core".

"Well that sucks" Clint muttered, running his hand through his hair. Why couldn't things ever be simple? "Any ideas that don't involve us blowing up?"

Lang suddenly pulled his head out of the wall. "You have ants in Wakanda, right?"

Nakia paused. "Yes…why?"

Clint glanced suspiciously at Ant Man. That didn't sound great. Natasha paled next to him, eyes practically pinning Scott to the wall. "No".

Scott shrugged, "You have a better idea?"

Natasha and Clint stared at each other, Clint trying to determine why Natasha didn't like the plan and getting absolutely nothing from her in return. Clint shrugged, then swiveled toward Lang. "Alright newbie. This better be a good plan".

* * *

T'Challa sprinted through the barrier, war cry on his lips as he tackled an Outrider to the ground. He could hear Wanda scream in rage and felt the aftershocks of her fight against the Mad Titian. Captain Rogers crushed Outriders in front of him and Okoye did the same at his back. James Barnes climbed a tree just outside the barrier and shouldered his sniper rifle. T'Challa could hear the gun firing, multiple aliens falling with bullets through their eyes. The HulkBuster armor lingered inside the barrier, going through a quick pilot swap while the Hulk himself jumped into the fight with no strategy other than to kill as many Outriders as possible. Sam Wilson and James Rhodes kept just inside the barrier, machinery damaged enough to keep them out of the fray. For now.

T'Challa had to force himself to focus on the battle at hand. He could not concern himself with his people inside the barrier. They were safe for now, and that was all he could ask for. A small part of T'Challa wondered if they shouldn't just let the Titan leave with his prize. He did not regret his choice to harbor Vision and protect the stone. But the Titan stole the stone, and it was becoming increasingly clear they would not be able to take it from him.

The King suddenly found himself near the alien Corvus Glaive, who battled a trio of Wakandan warriors. He saw W'Kabi among them, sickle blade whistling through the air. The alien danced around their blades, its own double bladed axe hitting the Basotho blankets more often than not. T'Challa fought to their position, but he was too slow. Glaive tripped one of the Border Tribe warriors, then whirled his blades faster than the human eye could follow. When T'Challa looked again, three headless bodies in Border Tribe garb fell to the ground.

T'Challa heard a cry of agony behind him as Okoye took in the scene of her love's murder. Ever faithful, she didn't leave her position, but her eyes promised retribution. T'Challa was inclined to oblige her.

The battle raged around them, M'Baku swinging his club as Rogers danced around him, smashing any Outrider foolish enough to come close with his shield gauntlets. He noticed Ayo next to Steve, holding her own against a pair of Outriders. Barnes remained in the tree, eliminating any alien that was foolish enough to approach the protective barrier. Wanda relentlessly battered the Titan with her magic, who retaliated every hit tenfold with the might of the gauntlet. The Hulk stepped in whenever Wanda was pushed too far back and the Hulkbuster clumsily distracted Proxima Midnight. But T'Challa only had eyes for alien with the double bladed axe, grinning as blood ran down his chin. With Okoye to his back, he launched himself in the air, suit exploding in a burst of purple as he landed. The alien was pushed back, not nearly enough for T'Challa's tastes, but far enough. Okoye was on him in an instant, spear glinting as she attacked Glaive with fervor. T'Challa followed suit, claws gleaming as they sliced through the air. He connected once, encouraged when his claws gleamed with blackish-blue blood.

Glaive was a skilled opponent, smooth as he was quick. His axe was an extension of his body and he knew where it was at any given moment. This was a warrior trained from birth to win. But Okoye and T'Challa has been trained from birth as well. And they were fighting for something greater than glory or power or even their own lives. They were fighting for Wakanda.

The battle raged for minutes more, neither side truly gaining an advantage. Out of the corner of his eye, T'Challa saw Wanda fly back and hit the barrier, crumpling to the ground in a heap. The Hulk could hold Thanos for a few minutes, but he would need assistance. Time to finish here.

But Okoye, who had spent two years training Wanda, saw her protégé fall and faltered. Glaive used her millisecond of hesitation to kick her legs out from under her. His general fell to the ground, Glaive's axe speeding toward her throat.

T'Challa did not hesitate. He lunged beneath the axe and took the blow on his forearms, claws crossed to catch the weapon. His arms strained as the alien grinned down at him. He couldn't hold for long, but there should be enough time for Okoye to collect herself…

Suddenly, the ground shook as a shockwave flew across the battlefield. The melee halted. This time, it was the aliens who looked startled as their ship exploded in the background. T'Challa could see the metal superheating, venting out the top of the protective shell around it through a conspicuous hole at the top. Shuri voice screamed in his ear, telling him his people needed to be behind the city's shields. But Glaive was distracted.

He took advantage of Glaive's reduced pressure to wrench the axe out of his grasp. With a whirl to gain momentum, the Black Panther's claw struck Glaive's chest while the other hand sent the axe through his neck. Corvus Glaive stared at him, eyes stuck in shock, then fell to the ground. Good riddance.

T'Challa helped Okoye up and shoved her toward the barrier, "Get everyone inside!". She nodded, pausing by W'Kabi's body to retrieve his Basotho blanket and beads, then shoved Wakandan soldiers and Avengers inside the barrier. M'Baku saw the retreat and proceeded to lift Captain Rogers by the back of his collar and throw him toward the city, covering his back as they retreated. To his credit, Rogers rolled with it and cleared the path in front, stopping only to drag a dazed Wanda through the barrier. The Hulkbuster, devoid of a human occupant, covered their retreat as the enemy's ship superheated behind them. T'Challa and James barely slipped through the barrier as the ship went silent, then erupted outwards.

* * *

"This was a horrible idea!" Scott yelled as the four Avengers careened through the air on the back of flying ants.

"This was _your_ idea!" Clint snapped, almost falling off his ant for the third time. "Can you tell Maverick here to fly in a straight line?"

"Stop whining, Clint" Natasha chastised, graceful as ever even on the back of a flying insect. "The ship is heating up. We need to move as fast as possible".

Whatever. Speed wasn't going to do them any good if the dang things bucked them off part way there. Clint's newly shrunken legs wouldn't move fast enough to get him through the barrier. Which left him clinging to Scott's poorly conceived plan.

There was a brief moment of silence just as the ants crossed the barrier. The ship then exploded behind them in a brilliant burst of light. Clint could see the HulkBuster armor bend, then _melt_. Well. Good thing no one was in that. He hoped Thanos was caught in the explosion, but the sparkly jewels of death would probably protect him and the other two Musketeers.

The rest of the Avengers stood on their side of the barrier as the fire raged in front of them. Scott and Natasha's ants landed fairly gracefully while Nakia and Clint's practically bucked their riders off them. A quick motion from Ant Man and they enlarged back to their original size. Clint groaned, though the startled reactions of the other Avengers were mildly amusing. "Let's never do that again. _Please_ ".

The fire slowly cleared in front of them, revealing the unfortunately un-melted cosmic raisin in front of them, gauntlet glowing. His daughter, Midnight or something, stood next to him as well. The other one was missing, though Black Panther's wet claws indicated he was dead before the ship went boom.

The Mad Titan surveyed the carnage around him in disgust. Clint doubted he particularly cared about his army of Outriders, but it was a blow against his pride to have his adopted son and ship demolished in front of him. The blue stone glowed once more, opening a portal in front of the Titan to who knows where. With a final flourish of the gauntlet, Thanos and his acolyte vanished.

"Yeah that's right! You'd better run!" Clint yelled weakly from the ground, dizziness forcing him to his back once more.

Avengers and Wakandans alike breathed a sigh of relief. The Battle for Wakanda was over. But the war for Earth had just begun.


	13. Peter Quill, Peter Parker

**_Song: Bleed it Out by Linkin Park_**

"Wait, so you're tellin' me they made three more Star Wars movies that come before the first three, then made one after Return of the Jedi, then went back and made one right before A New Hope, then made one after their new one? And now there's gonna be a movie before the one before A New Hope that has a young Han Solo _not_ played by Harrison Ford?"

"That's the gist of it". Peter Parker sighed into his hands, "Look, I know it sounds bad, but some of the newer movies are really good. Not the prequels. Those should be wiped from existence".

"But…what happened to Harrison Ford? Oh my gosh, is he dead?" Peter Quill's face went white, which was really quite amusing. They were in a space ship, hanging upside down from the side of some evil UFO, and a man who'd been abducted by aliens was terrified at the thought that Harrison Ford was dead. Which, point taken. Unfortunately, Peter had waited too long to answer him.

"Oh no! How long ago did he die?"

"Is everything alright Peter Quill?" the bug lady asked, her eyes wide and antenna glowing. Peter's removable universal translator (and oh man was this thing cool) lagged a few seconds behind the woman's lips. Must be a technical glitch. Maybe Mr. Stark could improve its cycle time. "Oh! You feel great sadness and pain. You mourn the loss of this Harry son of Ford".

The grey man, Drax, sat up straighter. "Do not worry, Quill. I will find the murderer of the hair-covered descendant of Ford and remove his innards".

"Guys?" Peter ventured hesitantly, amused by their conversation but sensing it was getting out of hand.

The scary blue lady sighed from her chair, "I hesitated to even ask, but are you going to be able to pull yourself together, Quill?"

"Sure, I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just that life is pointless and nothing matters". Quill shut his eyes for a second, then looked straight at Peter Parker. "How did he die?"

"Dude, he's still alive. He's just too old to play a young Han Solo without Disney using a _boatload_ of CGI, oh by the way, Disney owns Star Wars now. Wait, did you ever even meet Harrison Ford?"

"Oh thank goodness" Quill breathed a sigh of relief, the rest of his team relaxing around him. "And no, not _technically_ , but I was in the same state as him once".

"Do you ever stop talking?" the tall sorcerer snapped from his corner of the floor. Because sorcerers were real apparently. Ned would be _thrilled_.

"I can assure you, the Guardians of the Galaxy constantly maintain rousing conversation" Thor boomed, winking at Peter Parker. And curse his pasty complexion, but he couldn't help but blush. Thor was _so cool_.

"I am Groot". The teenage tree looked up from his datapad for a second, then returned to it.

"You are welcome, my friend" Thor clapped the tree on the shoulder. "Now, protégé of Stark, continue to teach us the fascinating history of the War of the Stars". Peter stifled a laugh, pretty sure the demigod was acting all Shakespearean to piss off the wizards.

"Do you talk of anything other than fictional stories, Parker?" Loki grumbled from behind Thor. The trickster had been avoiding the sorcerers and Tony for the entire trip. Which was probably a good plan if the god of mischief wanted to survive. Tony really hated him. As for Peter, well…

"I'm not talking to you, Loki. You attacked New York! And on a weekend! If you were going to try to conquer Earth, couldn't you have chosen a Monday? I really could have used a few days off school. But _no_. You chose a Saturday morning. A _Saturday morning!_ My school was back open on Monday afternoon! The subway station was destroyed and our apartment had a hole in the wall and my _favorite deli_ was a _crater_ in the _ground_ but the _stupid school_ was still standing!"

The trickster pouted and returned to staring at the wall. Peter decided it was awfully disconcerting to see the leader of the Chitauri army pouting behind his big brother. Tony just raised an eyebrow at Peter, "Were you seriously more concerned about getting days off school than you were about the city getting attacked?"

Peter considered this for a moment. "Yes".

Dr. Strange (and yes, that was his real name apparently) glared at Tony, "How old is this kid? If he's a minor, he has no business being in space…"

Tony glared at the man, "Oh come on, get off your high horse. You know what the stakes are here…"

The shorter sorcerer, Wong, looked around in confusion, "I do not see the problem. We have some initiates in their teenage years. Age is not the determination of character or wisdom".

"Thank you Mr. Wong" Peter murmured gratefully, heart slowing down. Not that he really thought they were going to kick him off when they were hanging out in space, but it was still nice to have someone else on his side. Wait, if there were kids training in sorcery, did that mean Hogwarts was real?

Best.

Day.

Ever.

"They sent scouts to follow the false trail" the green lady stopped at the bottom of the ladder, hands on her hips. "Unfortunately, the mother ship shows no signs of movement. We may need to adjust our plan".

"We always do" The blue lady, Nebula, muttered.

"Alright, so we actually take off into space then? Go somewhere else and let the big guy come to us?" Mr. Stark started pacing, shouldering Quill out of the way and stepping on Dr. Strange's toes in the process. "Where is somewhere Thanos would absolutely follow us?"

"Anywhere you great big doofus! Yer holdin' the shiny stone of time and we're holdin' the blood red stone of…somethin', he's gonna come to you wherever you decide to run off to". The raccoon, paused his tinkering just long enough to consider Tony, "Just avoid Xandar, will ya? The planet's still burnin' 'cause Thanos wanted some pretty purple jewelry".

"I am _Groot_ ".

"I am not just worried 'bout losing my drinking discount. Stop telling such vicious lies, Groot. I care deeply about all the horrible, ugly people". The raccoon then winked exaggeratedly.

"Wrong eye again, Rocket" Quill muttered, darkly looking at the raccoon, "And stop takin' apart my ship!"

"Gentlemen, please". Dr. Strange held up one hand, the other bridging his nose. He looked like he had the mother of all headaches. The Sorcerer Supreme turned to Gamora, "What about the dark realm? I've been there before. If we time it right, Dormamu might take care of our problem for us".

"And then he would have the stones Thanos currently holds. No, that is not an option". Gamora pulled up a map of the galaxy, pointing out a couple of viable planets. From what Peter could see though, all of them were either uninhabitable (and therefore they couldn't even set foot on, much less mount a defense) or had some sort of population currently on them.

"What about Titan?" Quill's voice came from over Peter's shoulder, where the older man was re-assembling his gun. Everyone paused what they were doing and looked at him, eyes a bit wide. Quill elected to ignore all of them in favor of staring down the sight of his gun and making a few adjustments. "The Collector hid the reality stone in a Titan Haab' set to the date of the planet's destruction. It was his equivalent of a middle finger. Why not give the Titan the bird ourselves? It might unsettle him, fightin' in the ruins of his home. Also might make him stronger, but let's be honest, we really need any fraction of a chance of unbalancing him we can get right now".

Everyone, including Peter, stared at Star-Lord again. Nebula was the one to break the silence with a snort of disgust, "So you _do_ have a brain in there somewhere".

Peter finally looked offended, "I'm a thief and a Guardian of the Galaxy, of course I've got a brain. If I didn't, I'd be dead in a ditch ten times over now".

Gamora minutely shook her head as a small smile found its way onto her face. Parker stared a little bit. She looked really pretty when she smiled. "Alright Peter. I'll set the computer for Titan. Come on up and pilot. I'm sure they're going to be pissed when they discover we were hanging out on their belly this whole time".

As the pair scurried up the ladder, Drax leaned over to Peter and loudly whispered in his ear, "Why are we giving the Titan birds? Are we not trying to destroy him? Are they man-eating birds? I would like one of those".

Peter just strapped in, smiling under his mask. This was going to be so much fun.

* * *

"Well, we got their attention. What the hell was step two?" Stark asked, launching out of the Milano in his tin can as soon as they cleared the planet's atmosphere.

"Ah! I understand that reference" Thor deadpanned, following the billionaire out of the ship and impaling the side of the Black Order's ship. He then proceeded to tear it apart.

"I didn't" the spider-kid complained. He was covered from head to toe in some sort of patriotic onsie, but Quill could almost see his face paling with every dip of the Milano.

"Before your time, kid. Quill, how are we looking?"

Peter effortlessly dodged some of the debris from Thor's assault on the ship and checked the displays. "Well, they're right on our asses. As anticipated. Rocket?"

"Yeah, yeah humie, calm down. You can't rush genius".

"Umm, I'm a genius, so I tell you this on good authority. Yes, you can. Hurry up and finish this thing before we all explode!" Quill had to admit the explosions in the background of Iron Man's message didn't sound promising.

"Please, no exploding. I would really, really like to not explode" Spider-Man chanted from his chair, his hands in a white-knuckled grip around the restraints.

"Well, unless someone knows how to wire a _frickin Hadron Enforcer_ and wants to come help me, you're gonna have to wait" Rocket growled. Peter could hear him yip as something electrical zapped in the background. "Now since yer not helpful, shut it! I need to…"

"Hadrons are basically protons with a little extra juice and a lot of extra decay, right?" The kid's shaky voice rang through the comms system. Quill turned in his seat to stare at him. Apparently he was more than a pajama-clad street hero.

"Yeah…" Rocket trailed off over the comms. "Come on down, kid. At last, a humie with some brains".

"Um, excuse me? I revolutionized clean energy" Tony Stark hissed over the comms. Touchy touchy.

"Focus up, Stark. We cannot afford any mistakes". The glowy wizard dude leaned out the Milano's hull, shooting something golden at the multiple ships chasing Iron Man. His companion hovered over his shoulder to shield the man from any debris that came close.

"Screw you" Tony bit out over the comms without any real heat.

Peter continued to dodge and weave the Milano through the debris as the other Terrans chattered over the comms. He embraced the noise. His life had never been quiet. The quiet was the calm before the storm. The chattering and bantering and bickering was a sign of life and joy and family. A sign that no matter the circumstances, there were people around him who had his back.

"Quill? Line me up" Rocket's voice crackled brought Peter back to the present. Right. Aliens, infinity stones, Hadron Enforcer.

"Alright ladies and gents, ready or not here we come because the Hadron Enforcer is rearin' to go!" Without further ado, Peter yanked on the joystick and sent his ship spinning around until the open airlock faced the Black Order's ship. "We're firing, Tin Man and Greased Lighting, so get your asses out of there!"

As Thor and Iron Man flew back to the Milano, Peter cracked his knuckles and flipped the big red switch, releasing one of the newest weapons in his arsenal.

 _And here we go for the hundredth time_

 _Hand grenade pins in every line_

"Really Quill? I'm all for panache, but is now the time to be blaring Linkin Park?" Stark screamed as he flew haphazardly into the cargo bay, Thor landing gracefully behind him. The two wizards shielded the ship as an alien fighter crashed against the side of the Milano.

"Why Mr. Stark" Peter drawled, fake Southern Belle accent firmly in place as he signaled Rocket, "Yer offendin' my delicate feelin's. How _ever_ will I recover?"

Rocket cackled manically in his comm. Peter grinned, all teeth and thin lips, "How 'bout this, Stark? I'll give ya one crispy alien ship to make it up to yeh".

The Hadron Enforcer fired, the recoil launching Rocket and Spider-Man clear across the ship. The missile flew through the sky beautifully, embedding itself in the alien ship's hull and…

Peter peered out the windshield, "Umm, Rocket? Why don't I have an alien ship blowin' up to the sweet melody of Linkin Park?"

The ship was silent, save the steady wine of Quill's music.

Rocket puttered up to the windshield, "It didn't explode?"

"No, it didn't! Is there a remote or something?" Peter racked his brain. No, he was pretty sure it was a point and shoot type of moon destroyer.

"You kiddin' me Quill? Of course there's no detonator! I don't" the raccoon started rummaging around in his toolkit behind Peter. "I…there's no way…"

The ship lurched as the missile finally exploded, ripping apart the enemy's ship and sending it careening toward Titan's surface. Peter grinned and moved the Milano away, toward the abandoned crater they'd decided to land in.

"I can't believe you doubted me" Rocket stated smugly. Peter could practically see him crossing his arms and smirking.

"Woah. That was awesome" Spider-Man whispered shakily over the comms. Quill could see Stark immediately remove his helmet (and _look-y there,_ the metal could flow like liquid. Nanites. That was…brilliant) and rushed to the kid. Then he stopped and acted like he hadn't been worried at all as soon as he saw the kid was alright. Peter looked away, a pressure steadily building around his heart. The kid in the pajama's didn't even notice Stark's concern. Just like Quill hadn't noticed someone else's until it was too late.

"Peter?" Gamora inquired softly next to his ear. He looked up, small smile not matching the grief in his eyes. She smiled, soft and knowing, then repeated the question. "How much longer until we land?"

"30 seconds, give or take" Peter flipped a few switched above him and tapped on the datapad. "Should be a relatively smooth landin', but ya never know. I'd strap in". He then turned around in his seat, "Alright, kid, I gotta have a name. I can't keep callin' you pajama kid or onesie in my head. It's drivin' me insane. Come on, give me a name, any name, or I'll make one up for ya. Let's see, I'm likin' Herbert or Gunther or Mort…"

"Oh! Perhaps Njal or Alfrothul or Halvor…" Great! Thor was getting in on the action. Quill liked that guy.

"Please no, Mr. Thor! Mr. Star Lord! Look, you got to _promise_ not to tell anyone!" the kid pleaded with them, eyes on the ground rapidly descending. Quill got the impression that the other Guardians and Avengers were only allowing this conversation because it was distracting the excitable kid.

"Pinky promise" Thor solemnly held up his smallest finger. Quill followed suit, grinning perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

The kid took a deep breath and then removed his mask. His face was youthful, probably high school age. Peter couldn't really tell. It'd been a while since he'd seen other Terrans. "My name is Peter Parker. I'm Spider-Man. Hi!" Peter wiggled his fingers in greeting.

Well. "This is confusing" Gamora said slowly, glancing between the two Peters. "Star Lord, we're going to call you Quill. Spider-Man, you can be Peter".

"What? Gamora, come on, I was born first. If anyone gets to keep Peter, it should be me!" Quill's forearms strained as he fought the ship's manic descent.

"Half of us already call you Quill. It makes sense" Gamora's tone left no room for argument. Gosh dang it, he hated it when she made sense. Quill had to content himself with a scrunched face and silent angry muttering. He elbowed Gamora as they neared impact and she glared at him but promptly sat down, buckling herself to the seat. Peter fired the reverse thrusters and extended the Milano's landing gears. The ship lurched dangerously, then plunked down like it was nothing on the surface of the planet.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, buckles releasing them from their restraints. Quill stood up shakily and made his way to where Rocket was opening the airlock doors. Star Lord stepped out first, breathing in deeply and confirming it was safe for Terrans. "All clear".

"Alright, let's get set up" Tony Stark lurched out of the ship carrying what were certainly pieces of Quill's ship pilfered by a certain trash panda. The wizards started walking around their crater in circles, muttering under their breath and shooting golden threads from their hands.

"Woah. What happened here?"

Quill took a moment to look up at the landscape at Peter's exclamation. The surface of the land around them was charred and grainy. The black ground spread as far as the eye could see. A series of broken mountains pierced the grey horizon while ash constantly rained down on them, falling like snowflakes from the molten sky. Burning red flowed into swirling orange, which melted into the blood red and smoky horizon line. Some sort of electrical storm crackled in the distance, moving away from them with crashes of red and purple electricity.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor" Peter whispered. Quill thought about that for a moment, remembering a set of books his mother read to him when she was in the hospital. Yes. This is how he imagined the land of Sauron.

"The great eye is ever watchful" Stark whispered behind him, then cleared his throat. "Right then, enough gawking about. Star-Man, any sign of the enemy?"

"Star Lord" Quill muttered, letting his mask form over his head. To their back, Quill could see the remains of what he thought might be a temple, broken faces of stone littering the ground. With a deep, shuddering breath, he ignored the bones sticking out from the rubble and focused on the smoke behind the temple. He couldn't see anything moving. Yet.

"Their ship went down behind those ruins. I don't see anyone up and about yet" Quill stated, removing the mask.

"They are coming" Mantis whispered haltingly, her eyes glossy and antenna glowing. "All of them, the darkness and death, the soldiers and the royals and the living dead. All approach and stand before Thanos!"

The girl started to shake violently. Drax quickly wrapped an arm around her while Gamora rubbed her back and Groot grew her a flower. Star Lord knelt in front of her, meeting her terrified eyes. "What's wrong, Mantis?"

"They march onward, though their fates are sealed and sent. Death wraps her silken threads and resists their struggles. Puppets, puppets on strings leading to the darkness and the end". Mantis inhaled quickly, tears falling. The Avengers gathered behind him, eyes wide and concerned.

"What is happening?" Quill was almost surprised to hear the fury in his own words. He could feel his teeth grinding together, eyes narrowing as Mantis shivered and moaned.

"Your friend is a empath, right?" Dr. Strange stood above him and frowned down on the alien girl. "She is reading someone's emotions".

The Avengers and Guardians whirled around, weapons flashing. There was no one in sight.

"Who is this? Maw?" Stark snapped, armor humming as it scanned their surroundings.

Dr. Strange merely stared into the burning sky. "Dark forces are at work here. Great power lies in wait". He glanced back at their motley crew, "This is where the fate of the universe will be decided".

"He walks on their graves. On ours and his and theirs. He scoffs at their cries for mercy and shakes off their desperate grips. A chair is built of bone, fear, anger, blood, and hate, such hatred! He who bows to no man sacrifices the honorable and just to cross off half with blood and return them to dust. Strings snapped before the fates can protest and what can we do but watch?" Mantis suddenly stood, shaking off the Guardians, face dark and gloating. Her voice changed from shaky and fearful to deep and mocking, "You cannot hope to stand against such power. All of you will stand against the ending of the world, but it will be in vain. Watch, my children, as the universe returns to balance".

Mantis's eyes closed and she dropped to the ground with a heart-wrenching cry. Quill scooped her up before she could hit the ground and deposited her in Drax's arms. "Get her to the ship".

Drax nodded, then turned back. Star Lord stood still for a moment, ignoring the murmuring behind him as he fought to control his breathing. Anger would do him no good left unchecked. He could hear Yondu's voice echoing through his mind.

 _"_ _Fear and anger are only useful when they're sharpened to a point, boy"._

 _The blue bastard cuffed him over the head, then drew him up by the collar of his new Ravager coat. "Lots o' fellas have anger and hate, but that jest causes the destruction of everyone 'n everything. Lot of 'em have fear and those cowards run for the hills at the first sign of danger. You boy, yeh listenin' to me? Don't shove it down boy. Everyone gets scared or angry. And they're damn useful, Quill. Waste not"._

 _Yondu let go and ruffled his hair, then knelt down to look him in the eyes. "Accept your fear and anger. Melt it down and let it cool into steel as strong as Uru metal. In the slow passin' of time, sharpen the steel to a point, keep good care of it, yeh here me boy? 'Cause that'll save yeh jest as much as a good blaster on yer hip"._

 _"_ _What do you fear, Yondu?" young Peter asked, eyes bright and amazed. He was young enough he looked up to Yondu, but old enough to have gotten over the whole kidnapping thing. Yondu was a space pirate. What could he possibly fear?_

 _The blue man hesitated, then started to walk away. Peter's heart sank, his curiosity unsated. But the man hesitated at the door frame, then looked over his shoulder and said softly, "The numbness"._

Peter didn't understand then. But standing on the ravaged planet of Titan, carefully honing his blade of fury and fear, he embraced the numbness for a second. It was tempting, comfortable, safe. The world couldn't touch him if he didn't touch it. Why not stay? Ride out the end of the world in a drunken stupor? Or close his eyes and dream of music and the stars, a slow dance and family?

Quill took another deep breath, and let it go. He was never one to take the easy road. He prided himself on learning the hard way. With one final glance at the Milano, he turned around and faced the music.

"…We need those defenses up now, Strange!"

"Sorcery isn't like putting together a toaster, Stark. It takes time and diligence and will only be completed when it is done" Wong crossed his arms and glared at Iron Man.

Tony muttered, "You really have no idea what I do, do you?" in the background as Gamora tried to take control of the situation. "We have a plan, we should stick to it".

"Look, I'd prefer not to be made into a throne of bones, so any plan that prevents that from happenin' is lookin' good right now" Rocket snarled, claws wrapping around Groot's forearm and dragging the teen back behind him.

"Silence!" Thor's booming voice cut across the chaos. He was an imposing figure, eyes and axe crackling with electricity. "I have lost too much. I will not lose anyone else". The god glared at each one of them in turn. "Loki will help the sorcerers set the shields. The rest of us will prepare as if the hordes of Hel were at our backs".

Dr. Strange looked like he wanted to argue, but one glance from Thor made him reconsider. He turned his back on the group and started chanting, Wong and Loki each taking another section of their circle. The rest of the group armored up, setting a few weapons of Rocket's design around their ship. Kraglin prepped the Milano's guns and watched over Mantis worriedly.

With a whoosh of light, a dome surrounded their crater, then disappeared. The sorcerers had done their part. The group stood around silently, listening to the wind howl through the ruined civilization of Titan. Peter Parker shifted nervously a few feet away. Stark gently placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

On Quill's left, Nebula sidled up to him. She breathed in sharply as if she was going to say something, then exhaled in frustration. Quill glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, "If you've got somethin' to say, now's the time. No use holdin' back somethin' you might regret".

Nebula glared at him, but then returned her gaze to the dark horizon. "You are a selfish, pig-headed, arrogant jackass".

"Jeez thanks" Star Lord muttered, checking his guns for the hundredth time.

"But you love her". Nebula didn't look at him or elaborate, but Quill knew who she spoke of. "I cannot pretend to understand. I would have killed you in seconds, had I been in her place".

The woman breathed in shakily, showing signs of weakness for the first time since Peter had known her. "She loves to tell the story of your meeting. Her disgust at this honorless thief who carried the fate of the world in his purse like it weighed nothing. She believes you have honor now".

When Nebula didn't continue, Quill hesitantly inquired, "Do you?"

"I no longer know what honor is". For the first time, Nebula turned and looked him straight in the eyes, "You look after your family, Quill. That is your brand of honor. So promise me, Star Lord. She is a thousand times stronger that you, but this is our father. She might yet falter. And if she does, promise me. Promise me you'll have her back".

Quill nodded slowly and surely, meeting Nebula's stare without hesitation, "I promise. I'll always have her back. And I've got yours…"

"Don't" Nebula interrupted him, turning away. "I want nothing from you but that promise. You cannot be spread thin. There are terrible choices approaching, and I will sacrifice you in a second for her life. I expect you to do the same if it comes down to it".

Peter sharpened the edge of his fear and anger, "I promise".

* * *

After what seemed to be hours of waiting, the clank of Thanos's army approached. The Avengers and Guardians shifted, sharp and ready for action. Quill's mask slid over his face, automatically counting the Outriders streaming up the crater walls. There were so many of them. Thousands of black forms racing toward them. And at their center, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian themselves. They looked pissed. Good.

Not so good was when a blue portal opened up in front of them and spit out Thanos and Proxima Midnight. Thanos's fist was covered in a golden metallic glove. Unlike the last time Peter had seen him, there were three stones glowing brightly on his knuckles. Space. Power. Mind. Quill glanced at Stark, whose face twisted in grief and pain. He swallowed so hard Quill could see it and snapped his helmet over his face. Right then. Mourning could come later.

The Outriders rushed toward them, then hesitated at the border of their magical forcefield as the first Outriders burned up on contact. Dr. Strange's face scrunched as the Outriders kicked and clawed and tried to force their way through. Every once in awhile, a small crack would appear in the gold and red barrier. A flash of green would cover the crack and smooth out the magical barrier, Loki grinning at the Outrider's rage as he patched their shield.

The writhing black aliens parted as Thanos strode through, three of the four Black Order by his side.

"What happened to your other lackey? The one who looked like an albino Grinch?" Quill called, warily watching the Titan's movements as he approached them. "He off stealing Christmas?"

Thanos grinned menacingly, "The insects managed to mount a defense against me". The Titan's voice was as he remembered it from the Collector's place; deep and bone-rattling. "Glaive proved himself the weakest of my children when the insects slayed him. No matter, no matter. I got what I came for. All I need are your two stones. Give them to me, and I will grant you a merciful death".

"Dude, did you even pass kindergarten?" Peter Parker yelled, apparently choosing to ignore Stark's increasingly annoyed requests for him to shut his mouth. "One, two, three, four, five. Even if you get ours, you're missing one".

Quill smirked. He liked this kid. The Titan apparently did too, because he gave Spider-Man a shockingly genuine smile, "Don't you worry about that. What is it you humans say? I've got it covered. Last chance".

"Thanos, be reasonable. Perhaps we could bargain…" Dr. Strange started, only to be cut off by Thanos.

"No, no no. I've heard tales of you, sorcerer. There will be no bargaining. You either accept my generous offer and die in service of something greater than yourself, or you suffer for naught. Take your pick".

"Yeah, suffering sounds pretty good" Stark quipped, hand-energy-laser-things humming. The mask's eye slits seemed to narrow, "We're the Avengers. Those insects were our friends. And if we couldn't save them, well, we'll sure as hell avenge them".

Thor roared in agreement, axe lighting up with lightning. Peter Parker's suit whirled a bit as he shifted into a defensive stance. The two sorcerers created their shields, while Loki drew a dagger with flourish, one hand still patching their defensive barrier in a dozen different places. Quill could hear the Guardians shifting into place next to him, Drax's twin blades glinting in the red skylight. Gamora's sword sang as it expanded from its hilt, Nebula's batons crackling next to her. Groot set down his datapad and bristled, twigs surrounding him like a halo. Rocket, well, he was behind the biggest gun he could find, snarling ferociously. The Milano's guns whirled once, then again, Kraglin watching their back as always.

Quill stepped forward a bit, eyes never leaving the Titan's eyes, "We're the Guardians of the Galaxy, bitch. Get out of our way".

"So be it". The Titan's fist glowed, then crackled as he thrust it through their magic barrier. Loki strained, green tendrils rushing to the gaping hole, but the Titan flicked the magic away like it was nothing. Loki gasped, eyes returning to their normal color as his magic seeped away from the carefully constructed barrier. Quill could hear him whisper to them harshly, "He has a chink in the back of his armor. Use that".

Thanos demolished the barrier and stepped through, glaring down at them. His Black Order surrounded him as the Outriders rushed toward their group. Quill tensed, pulled out his twin blasters, and prepared to fight. The Outriders were uglier up close, all teeth and eyes and black slimy skin. His mask scanned for weaknesses, detecting the joints between appendage and body were his best bet.

Before he could test out that theory, a ship roared above them. Quill could hear the Milano's guns firing at it, but the dark shape landed right next to his ship effectively flanking them. He looked to the enemy, where the Outriders roared in delight. But Thanos looked…

Confused. Angry. This was not his.

The bay door of the other ship opened slowly. Everyone held their breath, a silence falling over the battlefield. No one stepped out.

The Outriders started to shift back toward the their crew, until a shape whirled out of the strange ship and bounced off five or six Outriders before returning to the bay doors. Tony Stark started to chuckle next to Quill as he turned toward the Mad Titan. "Well, you know what they say. Insects are awfully hard to get rid of". He laughed again, then shouted at the ship, "Glad you found my present! About time you got here!"

A teenage girl popped her head out the top of the mysterious ship and pumped her fist, "Yeah! It worked!" She turned, seemingly noticing the giant army for the first time, "Damn Thanos! Back at it again with the gold gauntlet!"

Spider-Man laughed manically as a figure in a black, skin-tight suit stepped next to Quill, her eyes sharp and batons at the ready. What appeared to be a black cat leapt next to Stark, two warrior women right behind him. People streamed from inside the ship and filled out their circle, surrounding their two space ships and protecting their backs. Everyone stared at the teenage girl's ship as a figure stepped into the light, a red, white, and blue disc on his arm. His uniform was black and damaged with the star ripped off. His hair was dark and long, face obscured by a scraggly beard. But even Peter Quill could tell who it was.

A great green beast roared as the group closed ranks, weapons at the ready and eyes sharp. Stark stepped forward a bit, stared down the Titan and yelled, "Avengers!"

Quill followed suit, rocket boots firing. "Guardians!"

Captain America stepped between them, eyes dark and grin sharp as he roared, "Assemble!"


	14. Literally Everyone

**_Song:_** ** _Avengers Infinity War by Jesus Martin (_** ** _watch?v=69vbZpbYRhc_** ** _)_**

Tony wasn't having a great day.

Exhibit A: Aliens invaded the Earth. Yay.

Exhibit B: Everyone died and he was forced to use... _magic_ …to reverse time. Ugh, even the word _magic_ gave him the creepy crawlies. Then, he had to live the last week over again, knowing what was coming and desperately trying to prevent it. He has so much sympathy for Bill Murray after that.

Exhibit C: He was on an alien planet surrounded by vicious black blobs and was about to die protecting pieces of _jewelry_. Super powered jewelry, sure, but it was still embarrassing. Someday, children would laugh as their parents told the story of Tony Stark, the great Iron man who died on the planet Mordor trying to protect some shiny bling.

The parallels between their current situation and the Lord of the Rings were actually astounding.

But honestly, he was feeling pretty good right now. Why?

"Finally time you appeared, Rogers. You're taking this fashionably late thing a bit far". He shot into the air and repulsored an Outrider behind Steve. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Peter webbing up a bunch of Outriders, Natasha cleaning up behind him. Good. He missed having Friday and Karen too look out for Peter in the field. But, well, alien planet. No Earth satellites, bye-bye AI.

"Sorry, I don't think my phone plan covers interplanetary calls. Thanks for the shield though"." Steve was smirking, he knew it. Paragon of the American spirit yeah right. That man was a punk through and through. Though thinking about it, that kinda was the American spirit.

"You're welcome. Your gauntlets are cute, but it's not the same without the shield". Tony narrowly avoided Cull Obsidian's hammer-thing, giving the alien a nasty burn on the face for his troubles. "We lose anyone?"

Steve hesitated over the comms, almost a sure sign they had. "Vision. Hulkbuster, but no one was in it".

Tony's heart sank, but he had known when Thanos showed up with the mind stone that Vision was likely a gonner. "This sounds horrible, I know, but objectively, that could have gone a lot worse".

Steve grunted as he caught his shield midair and twisted, decapitating an Outrider on his way down. "Objectively, yes. It could have. We're all a bit off balance, but no major injuries. We got lucky. Took out an Outrider troop ship and Black Panther removed Glaive from the equation".

"That is lucky. Well done". Despite himself, Tony was impressed. "But that begs the question: how did you get here? I for one hitched a ride on a very small alien spaceship and endured endless chatter just to get here".

"Are you sure that wasn't just you?"

"Haha Steve, very funny. Seriously". Tony narrowly avoided an Outrider's acidic slobber. Focus up, Stark.

"Shuri had a spaceship". Steve was breathing hard now, surrounded by Outriders. Tony could see Sam coming in for the assist with Barnes not far behind him. Barnes. Right, best not to think on that now. Personal grudge matches could wait until the evil megalomaniac was in the ground. He burned the Outriders behind Steve just in case. And if the flames singed good 'ole Barnes's hair, well. Oops. Wait. Shuri? Who was Shuri?

"Shuri? The teenage girl yelling memes out the sunroof?"

Steve laughed, a sound Tony hadn't heard in far too long. Not that the geezer had ever been a bundle of joy, but still. "Yeah, that'd be her. She's also the princess of Wakanda and a genius. You'd like her".

"I already do" Tony landed next to Steve now that they had a little space on the field. Sam, Rhodey, and Barnes were keeping the area clear of Outriders. That would buy them a couple minutes. His mask flew up as his eyes looked Steve over. He wasn't lying; he looked beaten to hell and back but nothing life threatening. "What's the plan?"

Steve's eyebrows shot up, "I don't think I'm in the best position to be calling the shots here, Tony".

Great. The sacrificial lamb routine. He had to physically restrain himself from rolling his eyes, "Look, right now I don't care that you lied to me, I don't care that you're a war criminal. Hell! I even gave you back the shield, so you're Cap again. We need our Captain, Steve. Call the shots".

Steve smiled, a sad thin little thing that had no business being on this man's face. "You're right, none of that matters right now. But look around you Tony. I may be the captain, but this transcends any semblance of a chain of command that we've had in the past. You've interacted with everyone here. I haven't. Lead us".

"What?" Tony just stared. Captain America was right in front of him, hand on his shoulder and his honestly face on. Two years ago, they were at blows. What the hell was going on?

"You've lived the future before. You know what not to do and have more intel on the enemy than I do. Call the play, Tony. You guys had a plan before we got here. Let's get to it".

"Right". Tony's voice came out breathy, full of the shock and confusion that filled his brain. "Right. Okay. Call the shots, I can do that".

Steve just grinned at him. "Tell me where you need me, Director".

"Ugh that sounds terrible. Me? A director. Please. SHIELD couldn't afford me. I would, however, accept Secretary of Defense if they asked nicely enough". Something exploded behind him. End of the world. "Right. Okay. We have two infinity stones. There's one more, but apparently Thanos has that one on lock. So we've got to keep his grabby mitts away from these. The wizard over there, that's Doctor Strange. He's got the time stone".

"The green one" Steve stated, eyes lighting up in realization. "That's how you reset the week".

"Yeah, essentially. The guy flying around in the mask over there? That's Peter Quill, leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Apparently, they're like the intergalactic Avengers. Thor literally ran into them, they have the reality stone. And they really hate Thanos".

"Who has space, mind, and strength maybe?" Steve's eyebrows crunched up in confusion.

"Power, I think. If he gets his hands on either one of our stones…"

"Game over". Steve nodded, "I've fought him before. I really don't want to do so when he has a fuller gauntlet".

"Wait you fought him? Like, with your fists?" Why was he surprised anymore.

"Yeah, and my… what did you call them? Cute little shields. Got him in the face". Ah yes. The mysterious scrapes on the Titan's face. "Alright, where do you need us?"

Tony laughed, "Honestly, this circle thing is good. Get our heavy hitters to where Thanos is. Other than that, it's pretty damn straightforward".

Steve nodded, lips curled up in a minuscule smirk. "All our comms are on the Avenger's frequency. Keep me updated. Also, I brought you a present. A little thank-you for the shield". With that, the super soldier ran toward Clint and the shrinking man.

"Oh that's just typical. 'Here Tony, have a present. Oops, left it at home. No, you can't know what it was'" Tony grumbled, shooting a few Outriders in the head. It didn't really make him feel better.

"Why Mr. Stark. So impatient!" A girl's voice crackled over his comms. Shuri, probably. "Don't you worry. I've almost got it…"

His comm screeched twice, then a painfully familiar voice filtered through, "Hello Mr. Stark. It seems things have gone up in flames per usual".

Tony stopped, eyes wide. He could feel his heart tighten painfully. No. Way. "Jarvis?"

"Hello sir. Now, if you would please duck, there is an Outrider headed for you".

Only his battle-tested reflexes allowed him to follow through, nearly tripping over himself before punching the Outrider in the face. He lurched into the air, blasting the whole area before landing in a heap a few feet away.

"As always sir, it's a pleasure watching you work".

"Jarvis? How? I mean, Vision. What?" Tony had no more words.

"Captain Rogers suggested bringing your AI with us. He said you're an excellent pilot of your own right, but having a link to your AI made maneuvering easier. We were going to bring your Friday, but I _am_ impressed with your security, Mr. Stark!" The girl sounded a bit surprised, which was ridiculous, because of course his security was top-notch. "I mean, I could have got through eventually, but I when I wasn't close after ten minutes, I switched gears. Uploaded the base programming from your friend Vision and parsed the code that was non-malevolent. With Steve and Rhode's help, I strung your old friend back together and brought him along for the ride. Well, him and someone else".

"Hello sir. Peter says thank you. He doesn't want you to know it, but I believe he is crying a bit". Karen's voice rang out through his helmet, filled with amusement and pride.

"But, Vision…"

"Is gone. Ms. Wanda gave her permission to parse his code. She said his soul was gone, so his body's mechanics might as well be put to good use. The poor woman is distraught, but she was certain about this". Shuri's voice was soft and understanding. Tony couldn't even begin to comprehend this right now.

"Hey Stark, stop standin' around and help out a bit here!" Quill flew past haphazardly, an Outrider hanging off one leg. Right. Battle to end all battles.

Tony's lips quirked into a smirk. "Alright Jarvis. Let's show them how it's done".

* * *

 **Rest of Chapter Summary:**

The battle is vicious and long. The first of our heroes to perish is Drax in his attempt to avenge his wife and daughter. Steve loses his circular shield and resorts to his dual shields. Thanos crushes them and knocks him out. Bucky picks up the circular shield and fights to protect his downed friend. His leg is broken and Thanos traps him in a nightmare of his own past using the reality and mind stones. Ebony Maw and Dr. Strange fight, Maw eventually gaining the upper hand until Mantis creates a feedback loop, forcing Maw to feel the pain he is inflicting on Strange. Wanda fights viciously, determined to return the mind stone to Vision, but is knocked out during the fight by the power of the mind stone. Tony fights Cull Obsidian with the both the Peters, firing off quips as quickly as they shoot their enemies. The next to die is the Hulk, who angers the Mad Titan enough to be wiped off the universe by the gauntlet. Nebula is gravely injured by her sister Proxima Midnight, who Gamora then kills with the aid of Rocket, Groot, Natasha, and Clint. The Avengers join together to defeat their three remaining foes. Ebony Maw is infected with a computer virus using Extremis tech and Ant-Man's shrinking abilities. Cull Obsidian is knocked out by the Hulkbuster. Thanos fights all of the Avengers (including Bucky, Steve, and Wanda), but still is winning (because infinity gauntlet). Steve goes for a kill shot, but Thanos anticipates it and stabs Steve in the side with Okoye's lost spear. He then snaps Steve's vibranium shield in half. While the Avengers…you know..avenge…Loki uses the confusion to his advantage and stabs the Mad Titan in the side. Thanos is pissed and portals the heck out of there after killing Loki with extreme prejudice. The rest of the Avengers mourn the fallen (Bruce, Steve, Loki, Drax, and Vision died in all) and return to Earth. In an undisclosed location, Thanos grins as the reality and mind stones gleam.


	15. Conclusion and End Credits

**_Song: Over the Love by Florence and the Machine_**

 **Okay, so I kinda shaped this whole chapter around this song as an ending montage to the movie. Here is the specific version I listened to:** **watch?v=2XaHSxSyXek**

 **And here are the time allocations for each POV for the song. I tried to adjust word count to the speed of the song and average reading speed, but I'm sure there will be some who read faster and some who read slower so here is a point of reference:**

· **Bucky: 00:00-00:52**

· **Peter Parker: 00:53-01:22**

· **The Guardians: 01:23-01:50**

· **Dr. Strange: 01:51-02:09**

· **Black Panther: 02:10-02:36**

· **Tony Stark: 02:37-03:29**

· **Steve: 03:29-03:54**

· **Thanos: 03:55-04:12**

James Buchanan Barnes shuffled out of the ancient elevator and slouched down the narrow hallway. He ignored the rest of the apartments and slouched toward the end unit, eyes focused on his feet until he had to look at the lock. He fumbled with the key, shuddering in time with the door as it creaked open. The smell of old books and vanilla-scented candles almost overwhelmed him, but he kept moving. Kept moving until he was past the neatly organized bookshelf, past the artist's easel propped up in the corner. Past the dust-gathering kitchen table. Into the bedroom. Covers neatly tucked, a few books piled on the nightstand. Dress uniform hung in the closet along with a few dress shirts and two pairs of slacks. And there, in the corner. Bucky Barnes fell to the floor in front of it, like a reverent worshiper at prayer. Gathered the worn Bucky Bear and the ancient photo frame to his chest and wept. His best friend was gone. His arm struck out, as if ruled by his heart and not his head. He raged, crushing the stupid dusty kitchen table, ripping the starched military uniform, the white sheets and the bathroom mirror. Then sobbed in despair and clutched his prizes to his chest. He would pick up the glass and repair the damage later. Right now, there was nothing but rage and grief.

* * *

Peter Parker walked down the hallway of Midtown School of Science and Technology, carefully avoiding eye contact with any of the celebrating kids. He was the only one who truly knew how little there was to celebrate. Sure Thanos was gone, but he had everything and the Earth had nothing left for when he returned. That wasn't true, he tried to force himself to remember. But he didn't want to remember. Just grabbed his books and mechanically shut his locker. Thirty steps forward, take a left. Thirty-five steps, then a right. Open the door. Sit in a desk. Make sure his pencil still had lead. Ignore MJ's patent "not concerned" look and Ned's more blatant questions. They didn't understand. They never would. He sniffled slightly as his physics book fell open. A picture of the team, the one hastily snapped before everything went to hell stared back at him. Front and center, Tony Stark and Captain America shook hands, their faces beaming with laughter. Peter's face was in the bottom left corner of the selfie with everyone else laughing and hugging in the background. He slammed the book shut, ignoring his classmate's concerned and startled expressions, and pulled out his notebook. He didn't deign to acknowledge the single tear sliding down his face or the way his hands perpetually shook. He was fine. He was fine.

* * *

The Guardians stood on a hill, looking down at the construction below. Say what you will about Asgardians, but they certainly knew how to rebuild. The King himself stood next to Peter, dark bruises under his eyes and axe strapped to his back. But he also carried a datapad, approving his people's designs and construction plans, stepping away every few minutes to help someone. And behind them; a graveyard of sorts. One plaque bore the names of the fallen Asgardian army. Another, the name of civilians lost in the Himalayas. One final stone honored those who had fallen in the Battle for Titan. Drax's body had been released to sail among the stars, the trickster's was released to the halls of his ancestors. There had been nothing of the doctor's body to recover, and the Captain would be buried in Arlington Cemetery. The Vision sat in Stark's lab with the hopes of reviving him. But though there were no bodies buried here, their spirits would be remembered in this place, the cornerstone of New Asgard. At least that's what Thor said. Peter on the other hand, was a firm believer in time and alcohol. Gamora and Nebula stood next to Peter, honoring the fallen. Kraglin was getting drunk with Mantis, and Rocket was tearing apart the ship. You know what? That didn't sound like a bad idea. Ignoring Gamora's concerned looks, Peter shuffled back to the ship. They would leave tomorrow, beginning another hunt across the galaxy for the Mad Titan. But today, he was going to rip some crap apart.

* * *

Dr. Strange pushed the battered doors to the New York Sanctum aside, taking stock of the damage. Wong stood beside him, weight on his good leg. The man smiled, then limped off to the broken display case. Wong had the right idea. It was time to clean up, repair the damage, and rebuild. Stronger than before.

* * *

The fires on the fields of Wakanda were burning out, their rage finally abated. T'Challa stood at the mouth of the mines looking over his lands, hands behind his back. His people were living, rebuilding, honoring the dead's sacrifice below. Nakia approached him from behind, arms wrapping around his waist. He looked at her for a moment, then turned his attention back to the horizon, where a red sun was rising once again.

* * *

A figure sat hunched over in a swivel chair. His head was cradled in his hands, the monitors glowing with pictures. Some had locations below them. Others were crossed out in bold red.

Things didn't look good. The burden of a futurist had never felt greater. They had maybe a month or two to recover, replenish their supplies and lineup, prepare the Earth for Thanos's return. This time with the full infinity gauntlet. Tony Stark pushed back from the desk suddenly, startling the sleeping Rhodey beside him. The man rubbed his eyes, then glanced once more at the monitors. "We'll need to recruit".

Tony nodded distractedly, standing up from his chair and heading toward the door. His best friend was right, but Tony couldn't deal with that right now.

"Don't go in there, Tony. It's not going to make anything better. There's nothing you could have done".

Right. Nothing he could have done. "I have to do this Rhodey". His friend looked doubtful, but let him pass. A quick elevator ride and a set of metal doors later, Tony stood above the battered body of Captain…no, Steve Rogers. There was no flag on him now, save the splash of red, white, and blue from his vibranium shield sitting on the metal chair. The crack down the middle matched the broken line of skin on Steve's abdomen almost exactly. Visions of the alternate future clashed with memories of the battle. Steve lying dead in Natasha's arms with a blade through his throat, no it was a spear through his side, Bucky crying and lashing out instead of being pulled from a plane. Rhodey was right. This wasn't making anything better. But Rhodey was also wrong. He had to do this. For those remaining, for Drax and Banner and Vision and _Steve_. He shed the Iron Man suit with distaste and stood as himself, Tony Stark.

Tony stilled, then closed Steve's eyes and placed the shield over his ravaged torso. He closed his eyes, allowing weakness for moment.

"It wasn't worth it" he whispered, not talking about Thanos or infinity stones, but a battle long ago between friends.

"We need you". Tony took a shuddering breath, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He zipped the suit back over himself, the beginning of a plan already forming in his mind. "I'll find you. Bring you back. _Home_. At least for the end".

And without looking back again, he walked out of the cold morgue, sealing it behind him. Unobserved, the body of Captain America flickered once, then twice, before disappearing altogether. The broken fragments of the shield tumbled to the floor, leaving only the star behind on the metal table.

* * *

A single cluster of asteroids littered a dying sun. Thanos stoically stood on the largest, using the gauntlet to control gravity and the atmosphere. He stared into the waning sun, watching a figure in black and green approach.

"My Lady Death, you honor me with your presence".

"I come bearing a present, titan" Hela drawled, dragging a golden body behind her. "I believe you are missing a piece". With a flick of her wrist, Heimdall's bloody body landed on the ground in front of the Mad Titan. "Take the stone. But the kill is mine".

Thanos grinned, tilting his head as he peered down at the Asgardian. With no warning other than a glint in his eye, the Mad Titan snatched the warrior's tunic and pulled him level. With a twist of the power stone, manipulation of the mind stone, and use of the time stone to prevent the ancient from healing, he coerced the amber soul of Asgard's watchman from his chest. He did not pay attention to the shell of a man left behind, his focus bent on the last infinity stone in his palm.

"It requires a sacrifice, you know" Hela stated, her sword suddenly wet with Asgardian blood. Thanos thought he may have seen a head roll off into space, but he paid it no mind.

Thanos laughed. "Luckily for us, I have brought a sacrificial lamb". The Titan and the goddess of death turned to the side, where a broad man was chained and gaged, side flowing with freshly spilt blood. The red mingled with a dark uniform and dark hair.

Thanos deigned to crouch beside the fallen Avenger. "You seem fond of sacrificing yourself for your country and your planet. Now, I am giving you the chance to sacrifice yourself for the universe. Are you willing?"

Steve Rogers yelled what Thanos believed were profanities around the gag, glaring daggers at him.

"No? Alright".

Thanos allowed the briefest hint of confusion and hope appear on the man's face before he smirked, baring teeth coated in blood. "Good thing the stone doesn't need a willing sacrifice. Just a worthy one".

The warrior of Earth struggled, but there was nothing he could do. Thanos rubbed the soul stone, whispering a few ancient words, and held it in front of Steve Rogers. The stone happily accepted his sacrifice, reaching for the man before Thanos was even close. The Mad Titan laughed manically as what was left of Captain America grunted, then screamed as his soul was absorbed into the stone, his body burnt to ashes.

"Well then" Hela stated, rolling her shoulders with pleasure. "I do hope you know what you are doing".

"My lady death" Thanos stated, bowing lowly to the ethereal ancient beauty, "I will prove myself worthy of your trust and affection".

"And how will you do that?" Hela stared at him, one eyebrow raised high.

Thanos smiled, raising his gauntleted hand in the air. "Like this". All six stones glowed in the darkness as he snapped his fingers.

* * *

 **Tada! Finished. So, I have two thoughts: one-they shouldn't do any end credit scenes. Just leave the cliff hanger like that. A snap and then darkness on the screen. That would be honestly fantastic and I would hate/love Marvel for that. But, let's be honest. They're going to do end credit scenes. So I here is what I think they could use as end credit scenes:**

"What happened to Scott?" His friend's ex-wife and her husband stood in front of Luis, along with Hope and the old dude they stole from.

"Just the facts please, Luis" Hope asked, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"For sure for sure no doubt no doubt. So I'm hanging out with my cousin Matias, right? And we're at the Taylor Swift concert. Which was sublime, you know, though I'm more of a 2008 T-Swizzle fan, you know, she just hits your _soul_ , but she sang 'You Belong With Me' at the end and I was like crying, man, _crying_ …"

"Come on, man".

"Sorry, sorry. Right, so my cousin Matias is talking about politics, which you know I hate, but he mentions something about some Accords about Sokovia. Talkin' about how they're going to make superheroes register. And I'm all like, "For real, man?" because I keep mad secrets for Scott.

And he's all like, "Yeah. I have contacts with the super important army peeps, who like, know all these dope military secrets and everything".

And I'm like, "Really? Quit teasing man and give me the _deets_ ".

So Matias leaned in and said, "My contact talked with this high ranking general who knows the Secretary of State. And he said, "Man, these Avengers are being real annoying, man, you know. Captain America's saving his brainwashed war buddy, Tony Stark doesn't want to do anything that might leave some damage, you know, and the Captain has recruited his friends and everyone's fighting at an airport in Germany. I just, can't even right now".

And I'm all like, "Who's fighting on Cap's team?" because I know our man Scott would be in the middle of this and Matias says, "The flying bird guy, the running bird guy, a dope dude with a metal arm, and a super fine girl who can mess with your mind, you know what I'm sayin. Also, a guy who can shrink".

Hope winced. Luis could relate.

"And I was all like _damn_ because Scott met Captain America. But then apparently this Secretary guy threw them all in a super-secret underwater jail but it's all good because Captain America rescued them".

Hope smacked him lightly. "Okay, none of that explains this". The scary lady gestured to the footage of a destroyed Manhattan Street, aliens, and the Avengers on a spaceship.

Luis grinned. "Well, that's a little more complicated".

 _Ant Man will return in "Ant Man and the Wasp"_

* * *

Agent Coulson stood above the Avenger's training room, watching what remained of the team spar lightly. Tony Stark stood next to him, strangely subdued. Though given what had happened, maybe it wasn't so strange.

"So you need help recruiting?"

Stark nodded, "Both scientists and fighters. We need to get ahead of this thing if we stand a chance".

Made sense. Coulson nodded, "I have some new recruits that could start in a week. An old colleague who has been in space for a while. She would be a huge help. My team could help as well".

Stark glanced sideways at him, "Your team? You replaced us? I'm hurt, Phil, really…wait, you have a colleague in space?"

"Well, I was dead and you were busy. And yes, Stark, space. Do try to keep up". Coulson handed Stark a thick file with a blonde woman in Air Force fatigues paper clipped to the front. He then shrugged good naturedly, pointing to a group standing on the side of the training room, watching the Avengers with expressions that varied from awe to annoyance to absolutely nothing (way to go making friends, May). "Want a demonstration?"

Stark nodded, gesturing toward the training floor. "Impress me".

Coulson tapped the comm unit in his ear, grinning slightly, "Daisy? Show them what we've got".

 _Agent Coulson will return in "Captain Marvel" and "Avengers 4"_


End file.
